tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20790046312478200072024-03-13T00:30:46.765-07:00THE NAKED AND THE READor: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BookJen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-85134530617838387122012-12-10T11:59:00.002-08:002012-12-10T11:59:34.252-08:00Hello Again<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After an embarrassing
year and a half hiatus from book blogging (and a 10 month hiatus from blogging
in general), I’m baaaack. As much work as reading, reviewing and updating a
blog was, I really miss recording my thoughts and using TNATR as a pinboard for
all my favorite book related things as well as the fun feeling of spreading the
news about good books with my friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So. I’m back.
Hopefully I can create and stick to a somewhat regular writing schedule. And
even more importantly, READING schedule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which brings me to
the topic of today’s post, which feels especially timely as this year winds to
a close: Reading Challenges. Not “I tackled a challenging book”, but more along
the lines of the yearly <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/208491" target="_blank">Goodreads Reading Challenges</a>. Do you do them? I’ve kept
and recorded all the books I read in a year informally since I graduated
college and every year it’s fascinating to see the depth and breadth of books
I’ve devoured in the past year. I always like to look at which months I read
the most, how many non-fiction vs fiction books I read (spoiler alert, I BARELY
read non-fiction) and how many of these books are graphic novels or comics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Some years are better
than others and this year was probably my worst in my 8 year history of record
keeping. Right now I’ve read a total of 40 books. And if I was going to be
really, BRUTALLY honest, I only finished half of 3 of those books before giving
up but I wanted them off my “currently reading queue” so desperately that I
just marked them as read and moved on. Those books are: <i>Lonely Jim</i> by Amis
Kingsley (oh god, this was NOT as amusing as advertised), <i>NW</i> by Zadie Smith (I
wanted to love it, I really did, but the characters were so one dimensional and
boring) and <i>What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank</i> by Nathan
Englander (a good short story collection that I stalled out on because I hit a
dull story and then the library book became due and I never renewed it.
Embarassing.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This year was such a
whirlwind that reading fell by the wayside most of the year. When I got my new
job in April, I was busy working hard and re-adjusting to what it meant to have
a full time job again (meaning I had to wear REAL clothes during the day (!)
and couldn’t spend all day reading in between applying for jobs). I also
realized how difficult it is to balance work and life while training for
triathlons and a marathon, which meant my free time to read completely
disappeared in an effort to just function as a human being.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now that I’m engaged
and taking on the daunting and overwhelming task of planning a wedding without
the luxury of an unlimited budget, I’m not really sure I’ll have any MORE time
in the coming year unless I quit running completely (more realistically I may
take a year off running marathons to keep my sanity), but I need to make a much
more concerted effort to read. I realize that when I don’t read, something very
fundamental about myself feels off and I slide into a weird quasi-depression
without realizing what’s wrong. Inevitably it’s that I just haven’t had enough
time to sit down with a good book and just READ. Does that happen to anyone? I
know there are usually peaks and valleys with reading, but when your whole year
is mostly a valley of crappy reality TV and falling asleep at 9:30pm, well,
something is off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyway, I’ll wait to
post the finally book tally and statistics until the close of the year because
I’m anticipating a small rally to push up my numbers a bit, but until then, how
are the rest of you doing with your year-end book reading goals? Are you going
to hit your number? Do you not care at all? Already thinking about your book
goals for next year? Share!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2079004631247820007" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-19196852685173177082011-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:002011-04-18T09:31:41.907-07:00Bloomsday Challenge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNhV5ZbkM2jikFXX0P5hTJt3NNrr_EVhJ6BXCumB_EeFlKEbrOZ3teRfDtBWRPOGbFYh4CoU3bBMttjd9WsMeeKVj317A3y-Bhal0WTCSzX-vGWVoCW75HQkeXk1j8aiLJrRFCYy7o10d/s1600/dublin001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNhV5ZbkM2jikFXX0P5hTJt3NNrr_EVhJ6BXCumB_EeFlKEbrOZ3teRfDtBWRPOGbFYh4CoU3bBMttjd9WsMeeKVj317A3y-Bhal0WTCSzX-vGWVoCW75HQkeXk1j8aiLJrRFCYy7o10d/s1600/dublin001.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Lately I’ve been setting ambitious goals for myself: Move to Philadelphia. Find a New Job. Run a Marathon. Adding to my list of ambitious goals is my recent obsession with actually reading <i>Ulysses</i> all the way through. It’s one of those intimidating books that is on my “things I want to do before I die” checklist and is something akin to the holy grail of Literature. I decided recently that this year is as good as any to cross this life goal off my list and I’ve decided that after I finish The Pale King and perhaps another quick book, I’m going to plunge right into <i>Ulysses</i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3elc4nqOzmklerVvgbbEyi0m-DOTaBhuTrZCDDof_xErsoO3zk7hettGaiNTo54w_39RYopHJZ3D2cx5vS9hyphenhyphenUzGvbrB2Hdsje1nRP_EehthevY40uB5GGr9BkizIVg1AEVBL5XpRcMwy/s1600/jamesjoyce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3elc4nqOzmklerVvgbbEyi0m-DOTaBhuTrZCDDof_xErsoO3zk7hettGaiNTo54w_39RYopHJZ3D2cx5vS9hyphenhyphenUzGvbrB2Hdsje1nRP_EehthevY40uB5GGr9BkizIVg1AEVBL5XpRcMwy/s200/jamesjoyce.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>Pushing me to finish this book is the fact that Bloomsday is June 16th and this year I’m dying to take part in the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1453080541">festivities in <span id="goog_1453080535"></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://www.rosenbach.org/learn/events/bloomsday">Philadelphia</a><span id="goog_1453080536"></span>. What’s Bloomsday, you ask? Bloomsday started on June 16th, 1954, on the 50th anniversary of the original day in which <i>Ulysses</i> takes place and is called Bloomsday after the protagonist of <i>Ulysses</i>: Leopold Bloom. The event is celebrated not just in Dublin but in many cities around the world and the day serves as an homage to both James Joyce as well as his influential and controversial novel. <br />
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In Philadelphia, Bloomsday is a popular event and with good reason. In 1924, Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach bought James Joyce’s original handwritten manuscript of <i>Ulysses</i> at an auction for $1,975. The reasons for this purchase remain murky, since Dr. Rosenbach was not professionally involved in publishing or literature, however the novel must have had special personal meaning to him because it was never put back up for sale, even when James Joyce himself inquired about the possibility of buying back the manuscript. <br />
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Because of this rare cultural legacy, the Rosenbach Museum and Library leads the Bloomsday festivities in Philadelphia every year, featuring an all day reading <i>Ulysses</i> in its entirety by prominent Philadelphians and an exhibition of rare 1st edition copies of <i>Ulysses</i> and other Joyce novels, photographs, letters and memorabilia. Combine this with pub crawls and people dressed up in period costumes and this is my idea of a fantastically nerdy time. <br />
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As of last Saturday, I have two months to finish a 700ish page book, which theoretically shouldn’t be a problem if I can stick with it. I do, however, envision lots of frustrated cursing in my future. Anyone else interested in doing the Bloomsday Challenge with me? Or if you've read Ulysses, any advice or resources you'd recommend?<br />
<br />
And in the event you're interested:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936041723/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1936041723">Ulysses by James Joyce</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=1936041723&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> on AmazonJen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-90105051994147176272011-04-13T09:49:00.000-07:002011-04-13T11:13:07.289-07:00Review: Townie, by Andre Dubus III<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZtCGLhzGIrXfwdH4scY4CDoOT9eDM-PcHaly-6YdUaG3cyBVbWtkrwtSOFdHC3U1McFFpXxY65gylElNFDpn1sqajX2YBlRWAZnfKqugWxzEKesAYH7I4CNTGLlnHrehHIDQpZuPNLGb/s1600/townie+-+andre+dubus+iii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZtCGLhzGIrXfwdH4scY4CDoOT9eDM-PcHaly-6YdUaG3cyBVbWtkrwtSOFdHC3U1McFFpXxY65gylElNFDpn1sqajX2YBlRWAZnfKqugWxzEKesAYH7I4CNTGLlnHrehHIDQpZuPNLGb/s400/townie+-+andre+dubus+iii.JPG" width="263" /></a>I started TOWNIE by Andre Dubus III with lots of high hopes; while I wasn’t really a fan of his fiction, I like memoirs and I’ve been especially drawn to stories about rough-and-tumble Massachusetts (The Town and The Fighter, anyone?). Also, I think his father is a short story-writing genius and was interested to read more about their relationship and learn some background on the family that would give his short stories more context.<br />
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Dubus spends most of the memoir focused on his childhood; specifically from when he was around 12 to when he was 22 (the author is now 52). After a poor but idyllic childhood, Dubus’s father leaves his young mother and three other children for another woman, marking the beginning of his strained relationship with Andre Sr. and the end of his sheltered life. As his mother moves the family from apartment to apartment around poor mill towns in Massachusetts, Dubus and his brother and sisters are forced to fend for themselves, often being left at home late into the night. During his preteen years, Dubus dabbles in drinking and drugs and describes evenings spent breaking into lumber yards and becoming a petty theif. After witnessing and sometimes being the target of violence administered by stronger and tougher neighborhood boys, Dubus decides to never be one of the weak ones again. <br />
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He then spends the next 200 pages or so describing his efforts to become a serious body builder and all of the minor, petty fistfights he gets into, sometimes described in such magnified detail that you wonder if he ran home afterwards and recorded them in a notebook. Because the book is so heavily focused on this span of these 10 years, many of the stories become very repetitive and I kept wondering how many more fights he could possibly get into. This part of the book, while the most violent, was the least interesting to me. Many of the fights started to blur together, not adding much to his narrative except perhaps trying to prove to his readers how tough he was or to emphasize his fatal flaw of violence. Though most of the fights sounded minor, it was obvious that Dubus was proud of every one. Later in the book Dubus seems to have moments of self-reflection, realizing that many of the fights were self-serving rather than righteous, and that instead of being a hero who protected the weak, he often sought out fights for pure blood lust.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2cVoxnVGlQic3Z5vfL9hXfMpLKsZP06vF2gQyhMlklK9xM4F9euJ1NFXnBRXXtx7rvoOJBYEEt6JX-CKGr3tvLuopQp7YAr6yV8uWlwKd26MxaEg3E6pYFb4H2K9Of-4kX5Gj-pGYGk8/s1600/Ostow_Dubus-480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2cVoxnVGlQic3Z5vfL9hXfMpLKsZP06vF2gQyhMlklK9xM4F9euJ1NFXnBRXXtx7rvoOJBYEEt6JX-CKGr3tvLuopQp7YAr6yV8uWlwKd26MxaEg3E6pYFb4H2K9Of-4kX5Gj-pGYGk8/s320/Ostow_Dubus-480.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Dubus and his father.</b> photo: The Boston Phoenix</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The book becomes infinitely more interesting when he describes his relationship with his father. As Dubus gets older, he begins to see his father more regularly; although their relationship is more like that of drinking buddies than father and son. Andre Sr. is still a womanizer, and on his second and third marriage. They often hit the local bars together, his father drunkenly encouraging him to start fights. At some point, Dubus decides to finish college and heads out west to Texas for his last two years of school. In Austin, he starts to feel guilty about fighting and tries to quell his violent urges. He eventually returns to the east coast where he does carpentry with his brother Jeb, continues to body build and go out to the local dive bars with his father and friends, becoming a townie all over again. At this point Dubus discovers a need to write and spends mornings writing short stories and constructing novels. As the memoir speeds to its end, Dubus mentions many important life events (including one particularly disturbing tragedy) but for the most part they are glossed over, without much analysis. The end of the book is far more engaging than the beginning but the quick wrap-up leaves the reader rather stunned and wishing for more.<br />
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Overall I just couldn’t get into the book. I realize that Dubus probably intended to focus more on his punch-throwing youth, but those parts of the memoir could have benefitted from a little editing because I don’t think the reader wants or needs the intimate details of every single scuffle. The most enjoyable parts of the book are where he describes his complicated relationships with his family and step-family. These sections are filled with honest, raw emotions and really give the book a more three-dimensional feel after the long, testosterone filled passages describing bloody fights. Reading this book at least fulfilled one of my hopes: I learned a tremendous amount about who Andre Sr. was, at least through his son’s eyes. I can see lots of allusions to his personal life in Andre Sr.’s short stories now and it’s interesting to see how his interpretations of events differ from those of his abandoned son. I would recommend reading this book if you are a fan of either Andre Sr. or Andre Jr.’s fiction and want to read about events that inspired their writing. However, you can probably skim most of the middle 200 pages, as you won't learn much about Dubus from his fights.Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-13091862903655740862011-03-22T08:48:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:04:16.781-07:00The Death of Lendle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbocAiP_QYyex0l_HGkX1Mn2Ne8VbjsAvF1IXOeAjYHGgCNo_vqSsggEJteqOWoLSstAH6R3RUMffOBKR45YrBCCJsCZc5S3zDxDnD2KEEB7NVKbpPOplJz44YvDbkRnhAIxcGWD4fsOFr/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbocAiP_QYyex0l_HGkX1Mn2Ne8VbjsAvF1IXOeAjYHGgCNo_vqSsggEJteqOWoLSstAH6R3RUMffOBKR45YrBCCJsCZc5S3zDxDnD2KEEB7NVKbpPOplJz44YvDbkRnhAIxcGWD4fsOFr/s1600/images.jpg" /></a>News hit yesterday about Amazon revoking Lendle’s (and apparently other eBook lending sites) <a href="http://lendle.me/amazon-api-revocation/">API access</a>, effectively shutting them down. They received an email from a no-reply Amazon address stating that Lendle did not “…serve the principal purpose of driving sales of products and services on the Amazon site.”<br />
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The shut down highlights yet another debate in eBook world, reminding me of the <a href="http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp">recent announcement</a> by Harper Collins to limit the circulation of new titles they’ve licensed to libraries before the license expires. Lendle had only been in operation for around 6 weeks now and many of my friends had signed up and started sharing based on Lendle’s philosophy of “<i>You can’t borrow if you don’t lend, and you can’t lend if you don’t buy.</i>” In their open letter, they emphasized their commitment to supporting the purchase of eBooks by only allowing people on the site to borrow books once they’ve purchased other lendable books and shared them. While I mostly fall on the side of Lendle, this situation reminds me of peer-to-peer file sharing sites, which haven’t been so successful when trying to argue legality. While I can definitely understand a publisher or author’s concern of mass illegal sharing and downloading of “bootleg” books, sites like Lendle seem to only be facilitating what Amazon themselves now allow kindle users to do on a larger scale. Is that illegal?<br />
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This whole eBook lending situation brings up an interesting question I get asked a lot. People always want to know if I have a Kindle (yes) and if I love it (not really). I get a lot of confused looks at this point, because why wouldn’t a person who never leaves the house without at least 2 books in her purse not be totally in love with a device that can hold around 1500 books? Well, call me old-fashioned, but I really love the feel and smell of real books. I go to bookstores sometimes just feather out different books' pages to sniff them. Also, if you haven’t noticed, I’m a little obsessed with book design. Books themselves can be little works of art. A gorgeous cover, beautiful binding, the choice and weight of paper, it’s all part of the experience. When explaining, I always try to make the analogy to audiophiles; I consume music by downloading songs from iTunes and listening to them on my iPod at work. I’m not concerned about cover art or sound quality; I just want to listen to the song. But there are also the music geeks who will scour record stores and flea markets for rare or beautiful vinyl, because part of the experience of listening to music is the visual design of the cover, maybe the tactile feel of holding the album and the kind of sound the music has when played on a record player with good audio equipment. This isn’t to say that people who use kindles don’t appreciate these things or have bad taste in books, because hey, I do read books on my kindle now and then for the convenience. But for me, I usually need the whole thing. I’ve even noticed that I read a lot faster with real books than eBooks because I can see the progress I’m making every time I pick up the book and there is just something so satisfying for me psychologically when I physically turn a page. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQHyegRCL4YNHxCaXSPlQYnHFOL5-FNzEjmKkZN9uI9fAimMMX8jQn90GJoLGF0cgXXFl4n8h_tYzePAP1WmpRROneJwYC7aBZhLNHEW-w5eUWdTqLLSMz5XsjmjfQUrUAhP3E1EXVSxz/s1600/shutterstock_64474036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQHyegRCL4YNHxCaXSPlQYnHFOL5-FNzEjmKkZN9uI9fAimMMX8jQn90GJoLGF0cgXXFl4n8h_tYzePAP1WmpRROneJwYC7aBZhLNHEW-w5eUWdTqLLSMz5XsjmjfQUrUAhP3E1EXVSxz/s320/shutterstock_64474036.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Added to the whatever psychological and physical personal preferences I have is the whole Lendle issue. Basically, when you buy an eBook, you’re committing to the specific device only format, and by limiting your ability to lend/give away/re-sell the eBook, effectively, you don’t really “own” it. I can’t resell at a used book store if I hated it, I can’t give it to a friend after I’m done, and I can only lend it for a few weeks at a time. <br />
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One big thing I’d love to see is some kind of price break for people who want to bundle an eBook with a regular physical book purchase. I will never stop buying real books, but I would love to use my e-reader more. I usually want to buy the physical book to have for my book shelf (book trophies!) but if I’m going on a trip or the book is really long, I’d love to get an eBook version of it but I can stomach the idea of paying $11.50 for a real book on Amazon, and $9.99 for the eBook as well. I wish there was some kind of price break I could get when purchasing both books, because I’d gladly pay $11.50 for the real book and an extra $2 for an eBook version (kind of like how a lot of bands will include a free MP3 download of an album if you purchase the vinyl). However, not knowing the business model and costs and drawbacks behind the pricing decisions made by publishers and big booksellers like Amazon, I have no idea if that’s realistic. <br />
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I’d really like to hear everyone else’s thoughts on the Lendle situation, since I’m no legal expert. I know a lot of you are die hard Kindle/Nook fans (and let me repeat, there’s bupkiss wrong with that) and I’m curious to know if you have any concerns about this, or how often you buy regular books now that you have your e-reader. Also, I know a few of my friends are in publishing and I’d really love to know the decisions and realities that drive pricing and restriction policies because I can only see this from my own personal consumer perspective. Thoughts?Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-47981343809243979202011-03-21T10:05:00.000-07:002011-03-21T10:05:19.097-07:00Southern Gothic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DMrPen7fZIxlYCw_fv77KEOBcMj-yiJ8jO-f7QL4BpZfEOpplu-zpi36qjVQ2LKwqaO1Mvis0rT8mcJ1rf7TQXxUIqANKiDQ0_8koNLKyw06xMOpLUIJpi4AfcpngEYwohyphenhyphen5feZOuZyw/s1600/flannery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DMrPen7fZIxlYCw_fv77KEOBcMj-yiJ8jO-f7QL4BpZfEOpplu-zpi36qjVQ2LKwqaO1Mvis0rT8mcJ1rf7TQXxUIqANKiDQ0_8koNLKyw06xMOpLUIJpi4AfcpngEYwohyphenhyphen5feZOuZyw/s320/flannery.jpg" width="232" /></a>The other day I was chatting with my boyfriend about Flannery O’Connor and though he’ll probably be embarrassed I’m mentioning it here, he admitted that he didn’t know much about her or her writing. I was shocked (SHOCKED!) because she’s one of my absolute favorite authors and a huge influence in one of my favorite literary genres. Sometimes I feel like I must have spent a former life somewhere in Savannah or Louisiana because Southern Gothic just feels so comfortable. Decaying houses, hot sticky country towns, sinister and grotesque characters, these are a few of my favorite things. Not to mention the wider underlying themes of social class conflict, racism, and the flawed human condition. <br />
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To celebrate my love of Southern Gothic and Flannery O’Connor, here is a selection of some of my all time favorite book covers, all illustrated by Canadian artist <a href="http://roxannamundi.ca/">Roxanna Bickadoroff</a>. She did a great little interview with <a href="http://causticcovercritic.blogspot.com/2009/08/iconograpy-from-home-interview-with.html">The Caustic Cover Critic</a> a few years ago that explains the inspiration behind her book covers and thoughts on being an illustrator. Also check out a free online copy of O’Connor’s most famous short story <a href="http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/%7Esurette/goodman.html">A Good Man is Hard to Find</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuYtRibCARkY0Te_vOlK9CDAwAKjF0qeRDrvgiiQgtlaKNuV-x4joI14HNVO-wGWmtBMHpW2QgFTjmUsMZhY5IQFhpB1lJcp5DKkXZnh_niZW_ZBWBt_F0QAuzQP8_DfjaKRCsY52vX_o/s1600/all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuYtRibCARkY0Te_vOlK9CDAwAKjF0qeRDrvgiiQgtlaKNuV-x4joI14HNVO-wGWmtBMHpW2QgFTjmUsMZhY5IQFhpB1lJcp5DKkXZnh_niZW_ZBWBt_F0QAuzQP8_DfjaKRCsY52vX_o/s1600/all.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>If you’re looking for more Southern Gothic, I highly recommend these books as a good jumping off point, some of which you’ve probably read or seen the movie for (dueling banjos anyway?)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375504524/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375504524">As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text (Modern Library)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0375504524" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by William Faulkner<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618526412/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618526412">The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Oprah's Book Club)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0618526412" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Carson McCullers<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679745645/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679745645">Other Voices, Other Rooms</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0679745645" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Truman Capote<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802130208">A Confederacy of Dunces</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0802130208" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by John Kennedy Toole<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679728732/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679728732">Outer Dark</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0679728732" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Cormac McCarthy<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038531387X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=038531387X">Deliverance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=038531387X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by James Dickey<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374515360/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374515360">The Complete Stories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0374515360" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Flannery O’Connor<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0156189216/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0156189216">The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0156189216" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Eudora Welty<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1878448919/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1878448919">The Long Home</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=1878448919" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by William GayJen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-50096800390646817312011-03-17T12:37:00.000-07:002011-03-17T12:57:39.197-07:00St. Patrick's Day Special: Top 10 Irish Fiction Books<div class="MsoNormal">While doing everything in my power to avoid St. Patrick’s Day today (amateur hour, hello!), I was, naturally, bombarded with all things Irish while trying to push my way through the throngs of people downtown waiting for the parade. While trying not to get run over by strollers, I noticed that the interblogonetasphere is busy recommending various best of the Irish lists today, so not to be left out, I decided to make my own top 10 list!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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10. Patrick McCabe – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060931582/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060931582">Breakfast on Pluto: A Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0060931582" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHMwGz_K-0omk3F8_JN-9TvGRsQOWn4N4DLRUJuYi7l4BtNG3t1xlHFreItk1QN9o8oub-sx8r4rRzWrFBqc9sGC0RFUGEJlhqbr6kNz7q4Kde0PENgo6ISXClzYfLe-ZWQPXXZwifpND/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHMwGz_K-0omk3F8_JN-9TvGRsQOWn4N4DLRUJuYi7l4BtNG3t1xlHFreItk1QN9o8oub-sx8r4rRzWrFBqc9sGC0RFUGEJlhqbr6kNz7q4Kde0PENgo6ISXClzYfLe-ZWQPXXZwifpND/s200/10.jpg" width="130" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal">I actually bought this book years ago when I was living in France on a study abroad and desperate for any and every English language book I could find. I was in Dublin for New Years and honestly spent most of my time there haunting the bookshops. I picked this crazy book up on a whim and I’m really glad I did. How could a book about the adventures of a transsexual woman named Pussy who moves from Ireland to London and becomes a prostitute and then a suspect in an IRA bombing NOT be awesome? In addition, it was also short-listed for the 1998 Booker Prize and was made into a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pluto-Cillian-Murphy/dp/B000EHRVOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300386783&sr=8-1">movie</a> a few years ago starring Cillian Murphy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now before I get too carried away, I want to keep this short and sweet because we've all obviously got some Irish whiskey to drink. So, without further ado, my completely unqualified and unexplained list:<br />
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9. John Banville – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400097029/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400097029">The Sea</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=1400097029" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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8. Joseph O’Connor – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0099469626/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0099469626">Star of the Sea</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0099469626" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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7. Frank O’Connor – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394710487/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394710487">Collected Stories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0394710487" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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6. Roddy Doyle – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140233903/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140233903">Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0140233903" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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5. William Trevor – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670022063/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670022063">Selected Stories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0670022063" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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4. Samuel Beckett – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802150918/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802150918">Three Novels: Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0802150918" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
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3. Elizabeth Bowen – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385720149/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385720149">The Last September</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0385720149" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
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2. Brian Moore – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159017349X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159017349X">The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (New York Review Books Classics)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=159017349X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
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1. James Joyce – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936041723/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thenakandther-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936041723">Ulysses</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=1936041723" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRtlftHp_YJVrrzU2DxQ9mumQF2ULY8BaRsOqbRYZw53_pSqZ-hb8jWY2cK3NSkSW30zCraAYAytzUYsqXafqr20n-zHCBXPn0xUGVba5YhdGfk5vePDQCMRFrW9OHOCJaSYoC_SvOw5K/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRtlftHp_YJVrrzU2DxQ9mumQF2ULY8BaRsOqbRYZw53_pSqZ-hb8jWY2cK3NSkSW30zCraAYAytzUYsqXafqr20n-zHCBXPn0xUGVba5YhdGfk5vePDQCMRFrW9OHOCJaSYoC_SvOw5K/s200/1.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><i> </i>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-20339515238552063932011-03-16T12:22:00.000-07:002011-03-16T12:37:59.891-07:00Book Cover PornConfession: I totally judge books by their cover. In fact, sometimes the only reason I buy a book is because it’s pretty. Good book design will definitely turn my head and make me pick up a book, even if it’s not something I’d normally be interested in. I even fantasize about becoming a book designer (totally disregarding the fact that I can barely use a computer and I wouldn’t know how to design my way out of a paper bag). <br />
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I know I’ve ranted before about how poorly US covers stack up to UK covers on the whole, but this year the US might actually give the Brits a run for their money. I’ve seen some really fantastic book covers so far this year and I’m looking forward to what the second half of the year has in store! Without further ado, here are my top 20 favorite book covers so far this year:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">20. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Molotovs-Magic-Lantern-Travels-Russian/dp/0374211973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300301491&sr=1-1"><i>Molotov’s Magic Lantern: Travels in Russian History</i></a> by Rachel Polonsky (Released 1/4/11)<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWm7H7AX58c4cNR3P51yNGve8awyh97KlN-Q5b0u9l2sLyKnxebQ3AN4YY4t6di8utrLXcSdS9NHdDVcSo98n3tpEpl7uhUe_D0FB-h5TgLaryfuVAtFrCIe1Myuu6mUbJF_oHC2FCeNc/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWm7H7AX58c4cNR3P51yNGve8awyh97KlN-Q5b0u9l2sLyKnxebQ3AN4YY4t6di8utrLXcSdS9NHdDVcSo98n3tpEpl7uhUe_D0FB-h5TgLaryfuVAtFrCIe1Myuu6mUbJF_oHC2FCeNc/s320/20.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">19. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Beds-Novel-Elizabeth-Buchan/dp/0670022365/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301456&sr=1-1"><i>Separate Beds</i></a> by Elizabeth Buchan (Released 1/20/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIC18-N8hCYI-ws4kKqUajINNTwHoc0kxpCjXeb-fIvlO-A0BMBguJh-ix2oGjE9Mpl5BusWErIf5BSwkr1DeatKzOLwg2xDJG1HJqZUgImlS7J9OGKoeQ91A2fXV0KZl6DN1oFeE183x/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIC18-N8hCYI-ws4kKqUajINNTwHoc0kxpCjXeb-fIvlO-A0BMBguJh-ix2oGjE9Mpl5BusWErIf5BSwkr1DeatKzOLwg2xDJG1HJqZUgImlS7J9OGKoeQ91A2fXV0KZl6DN1oFeE183x/s320/19.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">18. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Bones-Butter-Inadvertent-Education/dp/140006872X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300301398&sr=1-1"><i>Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef</i></a> by Gabrielle Hamilton (released 3/1/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSXLve3R-n-ovJ-hAmcByLjwo3QQd6E6z4sk6XXtS-BeE1r-AP9JqdyXIJ7vmO_bHDXPdQ3PhNZEcyROzbz_KdEwdEk1MzglCZ9Fhvdwbk0zMOuoz-3F_f-0isLSbrM9zukc4Z1jbLsB8/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSXLve3R-n-ovJ-hAmcByLjwo3QQd6E6z4sk6XXtS-BeE1r-AP9JqdyXIJ7vmO_bHDXPdQ3PhNZEcyROzbz_KdEwdEk1MzglCZ9Fhvdwbk0zMOuoz-3F_f-0isLSbrM9zukc4Z1jbLsB8/s320/18.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The rest of the list after the break! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">17. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adults-Novel-Alison-Espach/dp/1439191859/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301366&sr=1-1"><i>The Adults</i></a> by Alison Espach (Released 2/1/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhferLQAZ9fijT6z09IIge7GZNCjXKt50tA15aiSIUgQ13QLvmruUz1Jo72Knyhycs8lOl1dFn95voxccjc1Sog5XvKRvucod3KxJpxnQCgi4AK2kIQBhmnlMywKI6lA1N6w5EPDUP7shux/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhferLQAZ9fijT6z09IIge7GZNCjXKt50tA15aiSIUgQ13QLvmruUz1Jo72Knyhycs8lOl1dFn95voxccjc1Sog5XvKRvucod3KxJpxnQCgi4AK2kIQBhmnlMywKI6lA1N6w5EPDUP7shux/s320/17.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">16. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Illumination-Novel-Kevin-Brockmeier/dp/0375425314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301312&sr=1-1"><i>The Illumination</i></a> by Kevin Brockmeier (Released 2/1/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UVFED0nMTO_zCeWTDuOmbJp1bj7wZkVcxqyKuq63C7IAeNSCjCuGZV8pZ8w4RMOxKtFp_fH4AbRhyphenhyphenZyYhZ-l4OoJ6DP6GgYlGKLJSUoqUv4xxM5FwBlwTN4acaT2WRMSVimRLwZh8_pd/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UVFED0nMTO_zCeWTDuOmbJp1bj7wZkVcxqyKuq63C7IAeNSCjCuGZV8pZ8w4RMOxKtFp_fH4AbRhyphenhyphenZyYhZ-l4OoJ6DP6GgYlGKLJSUoqUv4xxM5FwBlwTN4acaT2WRMSVimRLwZh8_pd/s320/16.JPG" width="216" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">15. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Drowned-Carsten-Jensen/dp/0151013772/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301258&sr=1-1"><i>We The Drowned</i></a> by Carsten Jensen (Released 2/9/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeCcJir_yx5SuUYpMMu4dYv5BTp-hFJxj6MpFjMb72Ca8_hguWDcA693AsrFB-dy40scoW2PJTUfpMFBKZuU4l01KOVnoPDke8dGKZwjK8DLQ8ZdGj6iO0jnOLhCCvG5tfcnuwWMoxcRJ/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeCcJir_yx5SuUYpMMu4dYv5BTp-hFJxj6MpFjMb72Ca8_hguWDcA693AsrFB-dy40scoW2PJTUfpMFBKZuU4l01KOVnoPDke8dGKZwjK8DLQ8ZdGj6iO0jnOLhCCvG5tfcnuwWMoxcRJ/s320/15.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">14. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Wife-Novel-Tea-Obreht/dp/0385343833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301228&sr=1-1"><i>The Tiger’s Wife</i></a> by Tea Obreht (Released 3/8/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtOBFBQtZ2tBZUSzFL6MG-qgt8ypcJCKNZl_3kYIeNudYJzscCK0rWGgapen9JrwG0KXG_ddPupb3Tlkds_yarvgU_BqDqXidWvN7LvZy8xaO4dLPlEpa80ufOv5BcQomhEGB2DGWFlYb/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtOBFBQtZ2tBZUSzFL6MG-qgt8ypcJCKNZl_3kYIeNudYJzscCK0rWGgapen9JrwG0KXG_ddPupb3Tlkds_yarvgU_BqDqXidWvN7LvZy8xaO4dLPlEpa80ufOv5BcQomhEGB2DGWFlYb/s320/14.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">13. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fates-Will-Find-Their-Way/dp/006199605X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301192&sr=1-1"><i>The Fates Will Find Their Way</i></a> by Hannah Pittard (Released 1/25/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1xzcLQiI1O_74dC3WDJbuF6_xr6nWEsCCa1FWndy1UkxEec75CWpwUWwp50Izv2-tql2XotSgqCAi1g8wAEtKUCu8ZL8O42WsyDqw8q78DggKEhw3RwhKWy3bC_TeVaem9VdO9Dnxuox/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1xzcLQiI1O_74dC3WDJbuF6_xr6nWEsCCa1FWndy1UkxEec75CWpwUWwp50Izv2-tql2XotSgqCAi1g8wAEtKUCu8ZL8O42WsyDqw8q78DggKEhw3RwhKWy3bC_TeVaem9VdO9Dnxuox/s320/13.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/159420229X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300301141&sr=1-1"><i>Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything</i></a> by Joshua Foer<br />
(Released 3/3/11)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTN6H0edY2uYd_V9SYoQsRfLyqb8JAfojLxltIGbVPy-MXF4XrphoHMUEDvNdt9v3rxKB1hfIbyS1JKjxqSBzhKkOFrhPrZonJp_kf88zB7v0IyIiedOrqt27TfpzLFluAIQzKQS9yJVZ/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTN6H0edY2uYd_V9SYoQsRfLyqb8JAfojLxltIGbVPy-MXF4XrphoHMUEDvNdt9v3rxKB1hfIbyS1JKjxqSBzhKkOFrhPrZonJp_kf88zB7v0IyIiedOrqt27TfpzLFluAIQzKQS9yJVZ/s320/12.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
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11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/0375423729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300301108&sr=1-1"><i>The Information: A History, A Theory, a Flood</i></a> by James Gleick (released 3/1/11)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJKDQiHCbgEl4DRYWjM65PZb03aGzyQYHZBQjGvi05uuaDpvK0FB3MVv49UfpvC6mrA2zE_Ji8PVLugvsKKBRGTOUGB0IWdBOlRx21Cv98T0bHTxbEPoLmT_AalRcMNavvAfBP2af8eRi/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJKDQiHCbgEl4DRYWjM65PZb03aGzyQYHZBQjGvi05uuaDpvK0FB3MVv49UfpvC6mrA2zE_Ji8PVLugvsKKBRGTOUGB0IWdBOlRx21Cv98T0bHTxbEPoLmT_AalRcMNavvAfBP2af8eRi/s320/11.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br />
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10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Solo-Rana-Dasgupta/dp/0547397089/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300301008&sr=1-1"><i>Solo</i></a> by Rana Dasgupta (Released 2/1/11)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8FffQGOzABp4ZDVQkpfXZCx1CP1DyUs_h1EvcSBkZhor4f74AhXFF-OF6bHVsMctSFYhVcS4TWDHg2tIKWn3SyVGkYJgIRDCHrib3lZ1pQD4lyPHyGDphL3qDPYyqT3Lhtb-b8KaHXV-/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8FffQGOzABp4ZDVQkpfXZCx1CP1DyUs_h1EvcSBkZhor4f74AhXFF-OF6bHVsMctSFYhVcS4TWDHg2tIKWn3SyVGkYJgIRDCHrib3lZ1pQD4lyPHyGDphL3qDPYyqT3Lhtb-b8KaHXV-/s320/10.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Other-Stories-American-Literature/dp/1564786021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300965&sr=1-1"><i>Night Soul and Other Stories</i></a> by Joseph McElroy (Released 1/11/11)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAN3Ke4mstDzAQMLwTgWpNkngijOw5mmw38afUoFyC9S6TD4ckmByAvtLnQiE7qgcPwGfybJvQ-HinPWWlgIEZoWAVLhDLPDVhnvIImJtCPepupC01olr0fR04nlzeg5LMfjCLXSMEIl2/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAN3Ke4mstDzAQMLwTgWpNkngijOw5mmw38afUoFyC9S6TD4ckmByAvtLnQiE7qgcPwGfybJvQ-HinPWWlgIEZoWAVLhDLPDVhnvIImJtCPepupC01olr0fR04nlzeg5LMfjCLXSMEIl2/s320/9.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oceana-Endangered-Oceans-What-Save/dp/1605292621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300926&sr=1-1"><i>Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them</i></a> by Ted Danson, Michael D’Orso (Released 3/15/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLtv_EJVdIvc4_quLf0GKyw8KWiOB9oMHApzmotMnDMllcESK-R1Kmg575ljoPuB53ArN3AadxUZ_VFkbX2pjp9EzDe-msW0_yHIv6xoe0ngB9y4uI0lwtMThPr2_hGc-LYlj8LaK-meo/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLtv_EJVdIvc4_quLf0GKyw8KWiOB9oMHApzmotMnDMllcESK-R1Kmg575ljoPuB53ArN3AadxUZ_VFkbX2pjp9EzDe-msW0_yHIv6xoe0ngB9y4uI0lwtMThPr2_hGc-LYlj8LaK-meo/s320/8.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Loves-When-Youre-Dead/dp/0061543675/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300896&sr=1-1"><i>Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead</i></a> by Neil Strauss (released 3/15/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9FVVguo5lEAWtzITFHA3XKcIuU1pzuUF1PEqqtmTuU7ct9e69IoT58rilT0N8pLkCrTlw7s_uAHhXvhs_iMvYkKptj10k2XeSgaG0TzAz4bYEuXzBpd2wS1PKGQYD-bUEBaOBkhLKDaV/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9FVVguo5lEAWtzITFHA3XKcIuU1pzuUF1PEqqtmTuU7ct9e69IoT58rilT0N8pLkCrTlw7s_uAHhXvhs_iMvYkKptj10k2XeSgaG0TzAz4bYEuXzBpd2wS1PKGQYD-bUEBaOBkhLKDaV/s320/7.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swamplandia-Karen-Russell/dp/0307263991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300863&sr=1-1"><i>Swamplandia!</i></a> by Karen Russell (Released 2/1/11) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDbBDRhcUhbFW0MfQdz7w9KJHUjgcrkBFj9V9VO4BA7iMuYa59ydiPtiBLhBmYVMgJAhY6omvvG9xobV9O6rpqqceA4Yk3jFvAIsIdJHNi5XcJi0mfRvhZbaC2gHlOytFzwKrRq-yy44Z/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDbBDRhcUhbFW0MfQdz7w9KJHUjgcrkBFj9V9VO4BA7iMuYa59ydiPtiBLhBmYVMgJAhY6omvvG9xobV9O6rpqqceA4Yk3jFvAIsIdJHNi5XcJi0mfRvhZbaC2gHlOytFzwKrRq-yy44Z/s320/6.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pale-King-David-Foster-Wallace/dp/0316074233/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300300828&sr=1-1"><i>The Pale King</i></a> by David Foster Wallace (Will Be Released 4/15/11)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZhm-QfXmU5fm4SNV3DjV-8b1jkGzKtoMTir_2WlJoTAT-PFrQN_LehUEcKQrm1oFrUZFqy8SoaKRKlpF_KPXh7ZO9MuXGhjXHO8eM4_xNmny2c5_2Yf7wofW_L7Ce_4ZMjgV8GiCazKG/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZhm-QfXmU5fm4SNV3DjV-8b1jkGzKtoMTir_2WlJoTAT-PFrQN_LehUEcKQrm1oFrUZFqy8SoaKRKlpF_KPXh7ZO9MuXGhjXHO8eM4_xNmny2c5_2Yf7wofW_L7Ce_4ZMjgV8GiCazKG/s320/5.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Day-Oprichnik-Novel-Vladimir-Sorokin/dp/0374134758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300797&sr=1-1"><i>Day of the Oprichnik</i></a> by Vladimir Sorokin (Released 3/15/11)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdel57vD6gGbB6ynVO-LV9RqCSUbfepIzkPcZRYG4EaUz1-1RspSQZm5NWx6E_Z98HNQ8LYf8DSmD5cCJ6PuXXaQip75xbhp2qfbWDDcUwovLwoo4yR4Z1LzVEFybQn4JAoxogcaTJ2bwL/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdel57vD6gGbB6ynVO-LV9RqCSUbfepIzkPcZRYG4EaUz1-1RspSQZm5NWx6E_Z98HNQ8LYf8DSmD5cCJ6PuXXaQip75xbhp2qfbWDDcUwovLwoo4yR4Z1LzVEFybQn4JAoxogcaTJ2bwL/s320/4.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snowman-Jo-Nesbo/dp/0307595862/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300300649&sr=1-3"><i>The Snowman</i></a> by Jo Nesbo (Will Be Released 5/10/11)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk2S3EVR5mYkzX9P5A5FSU7lcbCxr07ItEhfNN1prGlkyYQFBFHSFrx1DXhm9wFI4nLswGjxwDWyCWT4agzMI7xA8JfVyKjMZO3r-ctz0oKCTonawEKEPBzwn7FgoV-uQaKiroqsD8gHV/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk2S3EVR5mYkzX9P5A5FSU7lcbCxr07ItEhfNN1prGlkyYQFBFHSFrx1DXhm9wFI4nLswGjxwDWyCWT4agzMI7xA8JfVyKjMZO3r-ctz0oKCTonawEKEPBzwn7FgoV-uQaKiroqsD8gHV/s320/3.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br />
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Asking-Your-Boss-Raise/dp/1844674193/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300300595&sr=1-1"><i>The Art of Asking Your Boss For a Raise</i></a> by Georges Perec (Released 3/14/11)<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pym-Novel-Mat-Johnson/dp/0812981588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300300553&sr=8-1">Pym</a></i> by Mat Johnson (Released 3/1/11)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZWxVBSoOGMSNwTyvHDBYOiep17_QVkSh2Pqfm5wchzHvaSEVlbYldLuolkTNUyowmIzJTcj5PqQru90qaRLQuxPf5AB0x4iDTAEXCiEHFq8WwYioeE1zosXowRtG2kUrcK3YP8azr3KZ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZWxVBSoOGMSNwTyvHDBYOiep17_QVkSh2Pqfm5wchzHvaSEVlbYldLuolkTNUyowmIzJTcj5PqQru90qaRLQuxPf5AB0x4iDTAEXCiEHFq8WwYioeE1zosXowRtG2kUrcK3YP8azr3KZ/s320/1.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-17177191535944373072011-03-15T09:06:00.000-07:002011-03-15T09:06:21.646-07:00West of…Wait what is this novel about?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjLA3-GE3iEVpVsgl03MPHJE-ysbaxIRyYufR2SmYhaM0ERVpYZJOl3nM7euz1vHMC_UMTtzUg6LNmK9UPfj3yifPHro30gWA0324cL1mLrJUy_bS-9-7N5adMmBSJF5CE_diqANvK3-u/s1600/Books_westofhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjLA3-GE3iEVpVsgl03MPHJE-ysbaxIRyYufR2SmYhaM0ERVpYZJOl3nM7euz1vHMC_UMTtzUg6LNmK9UPfj3yifPHro30gWA0324cL1mLrJUy_bS-9-7N5adMmBSJF5CE_diqANvK3-u/s320/Books_westofhere.jpg" width="216" /></a>I picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/West-Here-Jonathan-Evison/dp/1565129520"><i>West of Here</i></a> by Jonathan Evison based on some rave reviews from other book bloggers, so I started with high expectations. Unfortunately, while I think the novel was certainly ambitious and at times clever and funny, overall it was disjointed and really lacked a clear plot.<br />
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The book opens in 1890, as a group of explorers arrive at a small, recently settled Pacific Northwest town of Port Bonita to launch an expedition of the nearby Olympic Mountain range that has thus far been untouched by white men. Besides the explorers, there is also a colorful cast of Indians, “celestials”, entrepreneurs, bar owners, prostitutes and social crusaders whose lives and personal struggles we glimpse from time to time. Fast forward 120 years to Port Bonita 2006. The small town has not grown to become a Seattle or Portland as some of the early settlers predicted; instead it and its residents remain as stagnant and dead as the dammed up Elwha River. Here we are introduced to some of the descendents of the 1890s Port Bonita, plus a plethora of other local denizens who make up this backwater town. Honestly, it’s hard to go into more detail than this vague summery because there are at least 30-40 characters with their own intricate and nuanced relationships and problems to follow and keep straight (perhaps a table at the beginning labeling the cast of characters would have been helpful?).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RcsRtGxVnhqkx0h02BWk7UvzOIuV4MHvU4C6EuSn8um7OZdFRXSeWFfLwsdPmvj-IXORi0AoIpP4PS3wLi9aOoGMLjr3Ru8x1W2sE3idxX54ZtW24zrmLUF8cUXHFe_3rkDl6G0eM4m-/s1600/postcard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RcsRtGxVnhqkx0h02BWk7UvzOIuV4MHvU4C6EuSn8um7OZdFRXSeWFfLwsdPmvj-IXORi0AoIpP4PS3wLi9aOoGMLjr3Ru8x1W2sE3idxX54ZtW24zrmLUF8cUXHFe_3rkDl6G0eM4m-/s200/postcard1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw-anW8AU0Ge7q4dYVWmWATEBRMOYRDY2eDerNjT_Gy1PMGiZYpzEKkKk1_EdzCijwXqfE0C_C0QtOuchRbvJmsa5wncJFpQLHrPf5VMuALN23muZv1_f1Amd6g1xmR_XZJJDyK_uUQr7/s1600/postcard5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>My biggest problem with this book was that beside a weakly explained (and ultimately silly) magical element and the fact that some of the characters from 2006 were descendents of those from 1890, there was absolutely no connection between the two stories. I assume that Evison was trying to show the evolution (or lack thereof) of Port Bonita and the differences between the passionate, hard-working, and entrepreneurial spirit of the settlers and Indians to the pathetic, weak-willed and irresponsible great-grandsons of Port Bonita 120 years later. However, instead of developing this theme between the two stories, he jumps from one time period to the other, with little or no inter-connectedness. I also disliked that each of the chapters were only 2-3 pages long before jerking you to the next totally unrelated story. Instead of each section coming together as a cohesive story about the community, you get small vignettes of different characters’ lives without really making me care about any of them. This style of storytelling also made the book unnecessarily difficult to follow. I would often confuse the characters and forget key relationships because Evison was constantly bouncing from story to story. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs-OSF1R7SIt3lON-q0XX9pZU76AvCWrcG-4HUVhnvkm7TcYI611k6R_mw8vaFqIaDjHWuuQ0Rwmh9sX6SvGgk8B844rgmETVEQO_yXDWDHfJmznmQCYBnD9IRfN6CwZJsI1jfXuGGxRP/s1600/Picture_3_0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs-OSF1R7SIt3lON-q0XX9pZU76AvCWrcG-4HUVhnvkm7TcYI611k6R_mw8vaFqIaDjHWuuQ0Rwmh9sX6SvGgk8B844rgmETVEQO_yXDWDHfJmznmQCYBnD9IRfN6CwZJsI1jfXuGGxRP/s320/Picture_3_0.png" width="320" /></a></div>I kept wanting this book to commit to something. To its detriment, the reader is hard-pressed to say what the actual plot is. This is a book about too many things without a central conflict that drives it forward towards resolution. Plot threads and important twists seemingly disappear or are hastily resolved after a few hundred pages, leaving the reader to question why they were ever brought up in the first place. I can appreciate that the relationships and simple progression of time are really the driving force of the novel and not a single event, but I really feel like this book would have benefitted by simply focusing on just one of these time periods, since their link to each other is tenuous at best. This could have been a great historical fiction novel like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Autumns-Jacob-Zoet-Novel/dp/0812976363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300202306&sr=8-1"><i>The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet</i></a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadwood-Pete-Dexter/dp/1400079713/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300202325&sr=1-3"><i>Deadwood</i></a>. Or it could have been a darkly comic contemporary novel about a group of pathetic losers like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skippy-Dies-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0865479437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300202360&sr=1-1"><i>Skippy Dies</i></a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Random-Readers-Circle/dp/0385343671/ref=pd_sim_b_9"><i>The Imperfectionists</i></a>. Instead, it’s a muddy and unfocused mix of both.<br />
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Finally, perhaps this is me being nitpicky, but I really disliked the flood of branded products in this book (in fact KFC ends up playing a central role in this book). I generally hate any branded products and pop culture references in books because I feel like at best, this dates your novel and at worst it may leave your readers or future readers confused. It’s totally unnecessary and can be avoided by simply being more generic. I don’t mind if there is an occasional product reference in a book (like a character ordering a Coke at a diner), but I don’t want to feel like you sold space in your book to big companies for product placement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw-anW8AU0Ge7q4dYVWmWATEBRMOYRDY2eDerNjT_Gy1PMGiZYpzEKkKk1_EdzCijwXqfE0C_C0QtOuchRbvJmsa5wncJFpQLHrPf5VMuALN23muZv1_f1Amd6g1xmR_XZJJDyK_uUQr7/s1600/postcard5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw-anW8AU0Ge7q4dYVWmWATEBRMOYRDY2eDerNjT_Gy1PMGiZYpzEKkKk1_EdzCijwXqfE0C_C0QtOuchRbvJmsa5wncJFpQLHrPf5VMuALN23muZv1_f1Amd6g1xmR_XZJJDyK_uUQr7/s200/postcard5.jpg" width="200" /></a>I will say that there are times I genuinely enjoyed the book. I was actually really entertained Port Bonita 2006, and found myself laughing frequently at some points. And I did like that the city of Port Bonita turns out to be the most important character in the book. However, I pretty much agree with the <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/books/review/Peed-t.html">review</a> and don’t think there’s enough pleasurable drama or elegant prose to justify delving into this rather long novel. It’s epically ambitious, but ultimately falls short.Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-69055269099103557622011-03-14T08:46:00.000-07:002011-03-14T08:53:57.534-07:00Skippy Dies was Robbed!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FU-gS4_ppDQ_inBgi1OKfcMgOR6stp-NpoImYnFbeZnIOF3vky5-FNQcdDOMD1TBTjuiTpYUduC3CM-clYGN3KuuEvpeU2Jq3ybqHDRcGdOd2PHeFoT0ZQhB-UilxipA6EaAGZzLUgxi/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FU-gS4_ppDQ_inBgi1OKfcMgOR6stp-NpoImYnFbeZnIOF3vky5-FNQcdDOMD1TBTjuiTpYUduC3CM-clYGN3KuuEvpeU2Jq3ybqHDRcGdOd2PHeFoT0ZQhB-UilxipA6EaAGZzLUgxi/s640/books.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like many bibliophiles, I’ve been following this year’s <a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/tob/a-visit-from-the-goon-squad-v-skippy-dies.php">Tournament of Books</a> competition pretty closely. The ToB is a bracketed showdown of the past year’s top 16 novels based on readers’ and reviewers’ top reviews. Then, celebrity judges composed of authors and literary figures read both books that are facing off and pick a winner to advance to the next round. There’s also a zombie round where readers can vote to bring back 2 previously knocked out books to face off against the remaining novels at the end. You can find a list of this year’s top 16 books <a href="http://themorningnews.org/tob/">here</a>. Now, out of these 16 books, I must confess I’ve only read 5 (<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Marie-Novel-Marcy-Dermansky/dp/0061914711/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300116996&sr=1-1">Bad Marie</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Room-Novel-Emma-Donoghue/dp/0316098337/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300116983&sr=1-1">Room</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Visit-Goon-Squad-Jennifer-Egan/dp/0307477479/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300116964&sr=1-1">A Visit From the Goon Squad</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Novel-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0312600844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300116948&sr=1-1">Freedom</a> </i>and<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skippy-Dies-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0865479437/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300116928&sr=8-1">Skippy Dies</a></i>), so some of the face-offs have been less than exciting for me. However, when I checked the brackets on Saturday I was eager to see the results of the <i>A Visit From the Goon Squad</i> vs <i>Skippy Dies</i> since I’ve read both books and have strong opinions on both. Sadly, I was totally shocked and disappointed to see that Anthony Doerr chose <i>A Visit From the Goon Squad</i> over my all time <a href="http://nakedandtheread.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-to-read-wednesday-best-books-of.html#more">favorite book from last year</a>.<br />
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Sometimes I really feel like I’m the only person who didn’t particularly care for <i>A Visit From the Goon</i> <i>Squad</i>. Mind you, it’s not a terrible book, in fact it was a perfectly pleasant way to pass a Saturday afternoon, but I was really surprised that it got so many accolades and so much hype. To me, it was the literary equivalent of watching a Sex and the City marathon: enjoyable but fluffy. The book was neither clever nor as emotionally hard hitting as I was expecting. In my opinion, Egan was trying too hard to be funny and darkly emotional without ever really achieving it and instead coming across as gimmick-y (50 pages of power point slides!). The characters also seemed really one-dimensional and unlikable in a boring way. <i>Skippy Dies</i> on the other hand was hilarious, satirical, clever, engaging and complex in a way that <i>A Visit From the Goon Squad</i> was not. It was an epic adventure that also similarly spread the story between several narrators but in a much more successful fashion because the characters were all much more full-bodied and interesting. Murray’s prose seemed so effortless compared to Egan’s somewhat clunky, forced words.<br />
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To Doerr’s credit, he seemed to enjoy both books immensely but for him Goon Squad seemed more relevant to his life at that moment. This is actually a pretty interesting point, because I feel that if I had read <i>Goon Squad</i> even a year ago, I probably would have loved it too. As I’ve been progressing as a reader however, I find myself enjoying less linear, more creative novels that are much more intricate and epic (Think <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instructions-Adam-Levin/dp/1934781827/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300117051&sr=1-1">The Instructions</a></i> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Joseph-Heller/dp/0684833395/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300117071&sr=1-1"><i>Catch-22</i></a>), where I feel <i>Skippy Dies</i> could be classified as well. I absolutely know I’ll be voting for it in the Zombie Round. Thoughts?Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-58478416853126789612011-03-04T12:16:00.000-08:002011-03-04T12:43:19.910-08:00Sensory OverloadInspired by a conversation with several friends on twitter, today’s post showcases 5 excellent books that exemplify each one of the five senses. In a few cases, I’ve taken some artistic liberties, but overall I think each one of these novels does a fantastic job of engaging your senses. What books have engaged YOUR senses? I limited myself to fiction books that I’ve read, but I’d be interested in what non-fiction or memoirs you’ve read that do a great job of engaging your senses!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMPzMU0ApocN9X26CnfBm3YxdDHEhfTS1InXC5V3y4eXCmoDS0NhDVMutVXflymBi1UpMOcl7dRwu3CiK2UXoG-YU-Mi5ZLZBZjQ8ub-ll1zWy_l-mRufp3qvEGIaYw-48R26WJkTDUIM/s1600/blindness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMPzMU0ApocN9X26CnfBm3YxdDHEhfTS1InXC5V3y4eXCmoDS0NhDVMutVXflymBi1UpMOcl7dRwu3CiK2UXoG-YU-Mi5ZLZBZjQ8ub-ll1zWy_l-mRufp3qvEGIaYw-48R26WJkTDUIM/s200/blindness.jpg" width="132" /></a><u><b>Sight</b></u>:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blindness-Harvest-Book-Jose-Saramago/dp/0156007754/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1299254925&sr=1-1"><i>Blindness</i></a> by Jose Saramago<br />
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The title of this book says it all; rather than presenting the reader with sumptuous landscapes and visual fireworks, “Blindness” focuses on the loss of sight and its shattering effects. A contemporary apocalyptic book written by the late Portuguese Nobel prize-winning author Jose Saramago, “Blindness” follows the social and moral collapse of a society after an unexplained epidemic of blindness strikes its citizens. The novel does an excellent job conveying the struggles of people who have lost both their vision and social order. The sparse prose and minimal punctuation is very effective at setting the mood for the novel and Saramago does an incredible job at depicting sensory deprivation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmKrZNogWoToEeDBNBP49zK2Z6y7Ddbrsj-uMiZCu4btqMfQVdWL2xtsxoXzbdUuDZOP_n66nrkfiMrZqwTe11SmQ1JM46q4bveyOezrMjZ3DNAXXfog-he-4FY4jw0SJS5vK2PlLNA-W/s1600/PenguinBooks_KlausHaapaniemiPerfume10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmKrZNogWoToEeDBNBP49zK2Z6y7Ddbrsj-uMiZCu4btqMfQVdWL2xtsxoXzbdUuDZOP_n66nrkfiMrZqwTe11SmQ1JM46q4bveyOezrMjZ3DNAXXfog-he-4FY4jw0SJS5vK2PlLNA-W/s200/PenguinBooks_KlausHaapaniemiPerfume10.jpg" width="130" /></a><u><b>Smell</b></u>:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849/ref=pd_luc_sbs_00_01_t_lh"><i>Perfume</i></a> by Patrick Suskind<br />
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This haunting book has been a favorite of mine for years. In the slums of eighteenth-century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with the incredible gift of perfect smell. He grows up on the odors of Paris, and becomes an apprentice perfumer, all the while stalking and murdering women in his search for the most beautiful scent. In Grasse, he catches the scent of a young girl whose scent fuels an obsession that drives Grenouille to ever more fantastic and appalling lengths to create a perfect perfume. The ending is an absolute orgy of the senses and makes getting through the slower parts of the book very much worth it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1xmAHDXsPgslZtLj5UA0LnhxnOBsAbFRoUjF3ToKxoVE6K98wOs-m0BgsLnd5TN-6a3LHPqgRM_hlID3lWFVXOIvy5k5ADXFmST1UyrJ0bBqgbYHiaHSxoAXOwZsglwiMT0pliE7ibYQ/s1600/delta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1xmAHDXsPgslZtLj5UA0LnhxnOBsAbFRoUjF3ToKxoVE6K98wOs-m0BgsLnd5TN-6a3LHPqgRM_hlID3lWFVXOIvy5k5ADXFmST1UyrJ0bBqgbYHiaHSxoAXOwZsglwiMT0pliE7ibYQ/s200/delta.jpg" width="131" /></a><u><b>Touch</b></u>:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Venus-Anais-Nin/dp/0156029030/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299255182&sr=1-1"><i>Delta of Venus</i></a> by Anais Nin<br />
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I’ll admit, I stole my first copy of Delta of Venus from a library book sale when I was 14, and it, um, changed my world. I had never known erotica existed and promptly spent the next four years with it hidden between my mattresses, to be pulled out on lonely nights when my crush didn’t call me back. While some parts may seem a little cheesy today, this collection of short erotica stories certainly spans the depravity rainbow (incest! pedophilia! prostitution!) and they exemplify the sense of touch above all. I guarantee your skin will feel electric while you read these.<br />
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<u><b>Sound</b></u>:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Metropole-Ferenc-Karinthy/dp/1846590345/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1"><i>Metropole</i></a> by Ferenc Karinthy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRKERsNiCEtf-PTkqBmUqd2FhW6YJmonG99OK9U47IwvPxEVlv_iIwAdNgMoGLmuuNL6n8Efy1-3r6dxDndmZ4SvjGcaixvqKtJmscLkkthWjg1XUVsDh_TJcOkTDXwj14BmnXRyfAteN/s1600/Ferenc+Karinthy,+Metropole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRKERsNiCEtf-PTkqBmUqd2FhW6YJmonG99OK9U47IwvPxEVlv_iIwAdNgMoGLmuuNL6n8Efy1-3r6dxDndmZ4SvjGcaixvqKtJmscLkkthWjg1XUVsDh_TJcOkTDXwj14BmnXRyfAteN/s200/Ferenc+Karinthy%252C+Metropole.jpg" width="130" /></a>Disclaimer: I adore this book, and if I had to pick my favorite book of all time, this may be it. It was written by a linguist, about a linguist named Budai, who is flying to a linguistics conference in Helsinki and falls asleep on a plane, only to wake up in a foreign country that he can’t place. He gets shuffled from the airport to a hotel and spends the rest of the book desperately trying to leave. He has very little money left and cannot communicate with a single person, despite knowing many languages. Things go from bad to worse as Budai is kicked out of the hotel and is forced to earn money on the streets to survive, while still holding out hope of finding his way back to the airport. Eventually the overwhelming claustrophobia of the city begins to wear you down as a reader. Buildings are constantly being built and torn down, and the city is a dense mass of winding and maze-like streets and alleys. This book engages almost all of the senses, but especially sound. There is so much noise and crushing congestion that even as a reader, you begin to recoil. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcJ9V12zz5xnK5PZ9UDdX8xqCFXBCeA4742BWuwDo4nnKjrzqmNpC11Cfc5-Y-5o3zqs7HU3oybFr79eBZXT4h6mv4EdjbTyIiDf9IdOy1wOnXXoiePNkMF7JruYnShp5DI3KH69KFV7H/s1600/The+Belly+of+Paris.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcJ9V12zz5xnK5PZ9UDdX8xqCFXBCeA4742BWuwDo4nnKjrzqmNpC11Cfc5-Y-5o3zqs7HU3oybFr79eBZXT4h6mv4EdjbTyIiDf9IdOy1wOnXXoiePNkMF7JruYnShp5DI3KH69KFV7H/s200/The+Belly+of+Paris.png" width="130" /></a><u><b>Taste</b></u>:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Belly-Paris-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/0812974220/ref=pd_cp_b_2"><i>Belly of Paris</i></a> by Emile Zola<br />
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A classic French novel from the ultimate French author Emile Zola, “Belly of Paris” is a story about Florent Quenu who escapes from Devil’s Island and flees to Paris after being deported from there in 1851. He returns to a changed city, most notably the new food markets of the grand Les Halles. To Florent, Les Halles represents a greedy, wasteful and food-obsessed bourgeois society. Zola exhaustively describes the colorful food markets and the vast amounts of food available to upper class Parisians, and in such painstaking detail that it makes the reader almost nauseous. He uses these lush food markets as the catalyst about the class conflicts and social struggles in Paris in the 1850s and the book actually transcends time and is applicable in many ways to some of the food politics and food excess of today.Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-595420714092954312011-02-16T09:56:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:58:20.162-08:00Borders Files for Bankruptcy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd3sMZJP96ZbfYdS12wg2gytO7fmc_Q6RzKF4LQMPdA3Oii6u3un4wwtfulWI0qPhL6rE4tqq0hwQBMPe0k1_ZDQCQdFJDntZqP5qnIWQrkOTfal8pq2Kpgso42pQLFB9AHklXKYS813N/s1600/Borders-Retail-Books-Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd3sMZJP96ZbfYdS12wg2gytO7fmc_Q6RzKF4LQMPdA3Oii6u3un4wwtfulWI0qPhL6rE4tqq0hwQBMPe0k1_ZDQCQdFJDntZqP5qnIWQrkOTfal8pq2Kpgso42pQLFB9AHklXKYS813N/s400/Borders-Retail-Books-Store.jpg" width="400" /></a>Early this morning news broke that Borders was finally filing for <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-16/borders-book-chain-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-with-1-29-billion-debt.html">chapter 11 bankruptcy</a> after unsuccessfully trying to reorganize and cut jobs to make the company viable. Their demise was avidly tracked and updated frequently over the past few months on twitter by publishing pundits, bloggers and booksellers.<br />
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While I do believe that many current business models for booksellers must be reformatted for changing times, Borders’ downfall has had a surprisingly emotional effect on me and many other bibliophiles (check #myfirstborders for memories on twitter). For many of us, it seems, Borders was one of the first places where we really discovered and enjoyed books. Before Borders came to Akron, Ohio in the early 1990s, the only place I could look at and get books was from unappealing and cramped Waldenbooks stores in the mall. Having been an avid reader even as a young kid, it was really disappointing to have to browse there; the selection was limited and the shelves were so high and narrow that I could barely squeeze by other patrons to find books. When the Borders was opened, it was a like a whole new world. Every other Friday, my parents would drive up to Akron as a treat and I would get lost in the spacious bookshelves, where books were neatly organized and I could pick up staff recommendations to discover new authors. And after cramming my arms full of books and magazines, I could stumble over to the café and flip through everything at my leisure with a big hot chocolate and a cookie with my mom and dad. Of course now, this kind of bookstore set up is almost de rigueur in all the big box bookstores, but at the time it felt really unique and special. And while I always try to support local and independent bookstores, the sad truth is that not everyone had or has access to them. I certainly didn’t as a kid. But I had Borders and it still holds a really magical and nostalgic place in my childhood which is why I really do want them to succeed, somehow. Hopefully bankruptcy will force them to adopt a strategy that is more in line with the current market and they will be able to re-discover who their customers are and draw them back in with better marketing and programs.<br />
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Borders also released a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4mzaef5">list of under-performing stores</a> that are being closed in the coming months and Columbus’s 2 stores are slated to close. However, my childhood store will stay up and running for the time being, which secretly makes me very happy (though admittedly, it is not the Borders I remember from my childhood :/)<br />
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You can check <a href="http://www.bordersreorganization.com/">this website</a> that Borders created concerning the bankruptcy for more updates and details on how it will impact customers and employees.<br />
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What are your thoughts about Borders closing? Do you have any special Borders memories?Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-62084228394216320262011-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:002011-02-14T11:30:32.731-08:00Super Sad True Love Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZdyVwlGnUdbHPB3i4eZWIW4lVjQ2EAI_RGYZnsI2hS51QJ86Mrb4lMbQZrv2D-BmxQXs_T_aZuNHER75DynB-4RmG4gzKt7TRwjlCEvITe89-VG0U33VRp3qbrHssnllp9cc-vnUV-iK/s1600/women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZdyVwlGnUdbHPB3i4eZWIW4lVjQ2EAI_RGYZnsI2hS51QJ86Mrb4lMbQZrv2D-BmxQXs_T_aZuNHER75DynB-4RmG4gzKt7TRwjlCEvITe89-VG0U33VRp3qbrHssnllp9cc-vnUV-iK/s320/women.jpg" width="209" /></a>Confession: my favorite kinds of books are the ones where boy meets girl, boy and girl get married, girls rips out boy’s still beating heart, girl marries boy’s best friend, boy kills himself and girl ends up having an unhappy marriage anyway. What can I say, I’m a romantic. <br />
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Combine my love for incredibly depressing books with Valentine’s Day and you have the subject of today’s post: My Top 10 Favorite Anti – Romance Books! After culling my shelves, I picked my favorite heartbreak stories featuring things like loneliness, cheaters, drunks, felons, murder, insanity, and war. <br />
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So here’s to you, my fellow anti-valentines:<br />
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<b>10. Women – Charles Bukowski</b><br />
Your classic love story featuring America’s favorite sex-crazed alcoholic scumbag. Read if you enjoy debaucherous tales of hairy old men drunkenly banging screeching hags followed by hungover morning hazes where the protagonist describes his beer shits. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Novel-Charles-Bukowski/dp/0061177598/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703264&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiiQihz1nemw99PqTAhQ2LROPkwVNLOY6oGdBkihvHlsxfClfMFvO_dKb1r1r77GJk8JNT6etwGBlsmgYZ5t4otvLeZdneG72VAO5sIJvSgkmv0HRjXHLf2XeObqHsjKuFObX8YDxY5if/s1600/256px-Naomi_Novel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiiQihz1nemw99PqTAhQ2LROPkwVNLOY6oGdBkihvHlsxfClfMFvO_dKb1r1r77GJk8JNT6etwGBlsmgYZ5t4otvLeZdneG72VAO5sIJvSgkmv0HRjXHLf2XeObqHsjKuFObX8YDxY5if/s200/256px-Naomi_Novel.jpg" width="129" /></a><b>9. Naomi – Junichiro Tanizaki </b><br />
A much more refined story that teaches men just what happens when you marry a teenager. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naomi-Novel-Junichiro-Tanizaki/dp/0375724745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703280&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T26f-PG0vk6HVL89sEBTBaCsXKPBL0r2O17yXwvHP34VlyEz40hfBtBsIJuLEqOPglyCHqSGlo56T-mHRt4Uf-8PUess93aj9lvghI1TZOx2xvrJU9u2d3V1DSxCxdnnWV2TEPUAbuQj/s1600/thegoodwife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T26f-PG0vk6HVL89sEBTBaCsXKPBL0r2O17yXwvHP34VlyEz40hfBtBsIJuLEqOPglyCHqSGlo56T-mHRt4Uf-8PUess93aj9lvghI1TZOx2xvrJU9u2d3V1DSxCxdnnWV2TEPUAbuQj/s200/thegoodwife.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>8. The Good Wife – Stewart O’Nan</b><br />
Everything is going great for the newly married and pregnant Patty and Tommy until Tommy doesn’t come home one night and is arrested for murder the next day and sent to jail for 28 years. This book follows the struggles of a woman and child that try to live in the shameful shadow of a man in prison. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Wife-Novel-Stewart-ONan/dp/0312425015/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703304&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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More after the jump... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz2_sqMz6weuUhHrk9COvXzmMwEcNIM1lya9hP3hQiIeXYrK32sBc7iAMc6Lel3_DElIfcScpSUcB-uXZUz09sG-dKnwbdtkQrUVuXCACRMbYPHvujlIx1_wSsLM3uCTaqbIHS0rWThmq/s1600/fireinblood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz2_sqMz6weuUhHrk9COvXzmMwEcNIM1lya9hP3hQiIeXYrK32sBc7iAMc6Lel3_DElIfcScpSUcB-uXZUz09sG-dKnwbdtkQrUVuXCACRMbYPHvujlIx1_wSsLM3uCTaqbIHS0rWThmq/s200/fireinblood.jpg" width="128" /></a><b>7. Fire in the Blood – Irene Nemirosky </b><br />
A small town melodrama taking place in a pre-WWII French village, this unfinished novella by Irene Nemirovsky follows the romantic intrigues of a man who returns to the town of his youth. Along the way secrets are discovered culminating in dramatic revelations that leave the reader shocked. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Vintage-International-Irene-Nemirovsky/dp/030738800X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703321&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzOGx9DP3oZaa10pgVt62_eborVBB42ShfHdRJpgQULPo4Cbpo-fJt8fKWt4aJGSVn6GARhyMDe6UjAgd7iqQSi7rzbrXHgR2gh-kWPpX66XbjUTIvs4NE5u7kQ6We3JIb34P6j3jSVZj/s1600/mycousinrachel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzOGx9DP3oZaa10pgVt62_eborVBB42ShfHdRJpgQULPo4Cbpo-fJt8fKWt4aJGSVn6GARhyMDe6UjAgd7iqQSi7rzbrXHgR2gh-kWPpX66XbjUTIvs4NE5u7kQ6We3JIb34P6j3jSVZj/s200/mycousinrachel.jpg" width="127" /></a><br />
<b>6. My Cousin Rachel – Daphne Du Maurier </b><br />
This book is often overshadowed by Du Maurier’s more well known “Rebecca”, but it’s just as chilling and suspenseful. The protagonist’s older cousin, who raised him like a son, becomes ill and moves to Italy to take in the healing warm weather. While there he writes to announce that he married a local woman and is feeling much better. He then dies quite suddenly. When he arrives in Italy to collect his cousin’s things, he meets the widow Rachel and becomes both suspicious and lovesick which may lead to his own abrupt demise. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Cousin-Rachel-Daphne-Maurier/dp/1402217099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297703095&sr=8-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9Kdji2HWQn_ACunBmwG9FsZ5wsbZAMupNwStnXneJAsDQqgy6oi4MTZwdWQaqS1WIlB4vgiqQJ4sfbkmVyW3b51Ii8tlfb1hvikcDg6qtPSRLVtb7dFF0-h2fNbceAgTBApOBGokRls/s1600/165-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9Kdji2HWQn_ACunBmwG9FsZ5wsbZAMupNwStnXneJAsDQqgy6oi4MTZwdWQaqS1WIlB4vgiqQJ4sfbkmVyW3b51Ii8tlfb1hvikcDg6qtPSRLVtb7dFF0-h2fNbceAgTBApOBGokRls/s200/165-4.jpg" width="119" /></a><b>5. The End of the Affair – Graham Greene</b><br />
The classic novel about cheating, Maurice falls for a bored married woman named Sarah. After conducting a passionate affair for several years, a bomb drops on her building and Maurice is injured. Sarah prays to God that she will do anything to make him survive and when he does, she gives him up without telling him why. Set against the backdrop of London during WWII, the novel is intense and spiritual and makes you question what exactly love is. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/End-Affair-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/0140184953/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297703376&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrRS7sdRBqGPxtybB72wcKxUm91EOPe3nxwzPxx7cdB_EiKYkE90eRpXW0D9aJXaYuExu-8vkVuIVzpMtMLr_xr1_rC2S9wu3wNWdGwlnSsx6hypUNsHXqf8Ael8PdoXEwgQu6fYYC8Em/s1600/after-claude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrRS7sdRBqGPxtybB72wcKxUm91EOPe3nxwzPxx7cdB_EiKYkE90eRpXW0D9aJXaYuExu-8vkVuIVzpMtMLr_xr1_rC2S9wu3wNWdGwlnSsx6hypUNsHXqf8Ael8PdoXEwgQu6fYYC8Em/s200/after-claude.jpg" width="125" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>4. After Claude – Iris Owens</b><br />
This surprisingly comedic book is told from the perspective of a very demented woman whose relationship with her rat of a boyfriend is falling apart. Despite him hurling every kind of insult at her, she decides to ignore his pleas and try to work things out with him, even forgiving him after he brings home another woman. This book really brings out the humor in destructive relationships and is best read after a hard break-up to see just what kind bullet you dodged. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/After-Claude-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173635/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703232&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4CABlAZS98wV9kEdyVlMSeFD0x3Tro7v79O-C5IkI4qbg98auKF6Zap0QwYUlNfKvN0X97b6H0vRKwzp5Qv3P02G64C9YazpMaQmyZy35PGsYe6Kk2Y_67_TRQieXXVN9DIZcrKwyNxn/s1600/yates-youngheartscrying2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4CABlAZS98wV9kEdyVlMSeFD0x3Tro7v79O-C5IkI4qbg98auKF6Zap0QwYUlNfKvN0X97b6H0vRKwzp5Qv3P02G64C9YazpMaQmyZy35PGsYe6Kk2Y_67_TRQieXXVN9DIZcrKwyNxn/s200/yates-youngheartscrying2.jpg" width="130" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>3. Young Hearts Crying – Richard Yates</b><br />
My favorite master of the miserable, Yates’ ‘Young Hearts Crying’ is a more sedate and less obnoxious “Revolutionary Road’. This novel concerns follows the budding relationship of Lucy and Michael, two young intellectuals who bond over ambitions of being smart and cultured. What follows is the inevitable disillusionment of youth and the alcoholism and fighting that goes along with it. As the characters age, they become weak and humiliated, but somehow the novel ends on a moderately uplifting note. (the book is still depressing, so no worries) (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Young-Hearts-Crying-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307455963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297703404&sr=1-1">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l_rfUkAJit6Cw02FdPbvYuH2bc01qGX1FKyIJepXwUKyY-EZ06nGvFJxIb2sP97QU8NjkVecfmI7hFIhI-dt448OZXY0NCRKqCUyO6tneNzDrOVrSfUVpNh13ii5aI547mPs7JMHX-iW/s1600/The-Lonely-Passion-of-Judit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l_rfUkAJit6Cw02FdPbvYuH2bc01qGX1FKyIJepXwUKyY-EZ06nGvFJxIb2sP97QU8NjkVecfmI7hFIhI-dt448OZXY0NCRKqCUyO6tneNzDrOVrSfUVpNh13ii5aI547mPs7JMHX-iW/s200/The-Lonely-Passion-of-Judit.jpg" width="126" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>2. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne – Brian Moore</b><br />
A bleak novel that details the psychological downfall of an Irish spinster turned alcoholic who believes, despite many disappointments indicating otherwise, that she may still get married and live the life she’s always felt she deserved. Her family is gone, her only friends despise her and she is blithely unaware that everyone pities or uses her. She sustains herself on illusion and appearances until her life really implodes beyond repair. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Passion-Judith-Hearne-Classics/dp/159017349X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297703427&sr=1-1-spell">link</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIYTwk_z94wAsbCjVFH3nc2TK-AGohohQ9PwAYSoYlN_R7sDOwFKJffddxu5HHEPCRLIjRd1cxQBeNqoRIhu809zJs9z6AzlgHqMN5kcrYkK4wu_xsTu2We6gnvP2xAJjCVayQBZ0D7Gw/s1600/9780141185378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIYTwk_z94wAsbCjVFH3nc2TK-AGohohQ9PwAYSoYlN_R7sDOwFKJffddxu5HHEPCRLIjRd1cxQBeNqoRIhu809zJs9z6AzlgHqMN5kcrYkK4wu_xsTu2We6gnvP2xAJjCVayQBZ0D7Gw/s200/9780141185378.jpg" width="129" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>1. Burmese Days – George Orwell</b><br />
And finally, my favorite anti-romance novel is Burmese Days. Set against the struggles of colonial Burma is the story of an unattractive British soldier who falls in love with the shallow, unintelligent blonde niece of fellow soldier who appears at the whites-only European Club one day. While there are many different arcs to the novel, their doomed romance and shocking ending had me reeling for days afterward. (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.amazon.com/Burmese-Days-Novel-George-Orwell/dp/0156148501/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297703443&sr=1-1">link</a>)Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-20187585839572595842011-02-10T12:46:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:46:15.480-08:00What To Read Wednesday: Thursday Edition Yikes, I’ve been very MIA so far this year, but I swear I have a good excuse! Because the weather has been so ridiculously snowy, cold and icy, I’ve been hibernating in my room reading like crazy. I made a goal this year to read 100 books and while that probably won’t happen (I plan on attacking some chunksters this year), I’ve been plugging away at my awesome pile of TBR books. I also finished a few books that have been lingering on my half-read list, like ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Robot-Isaac-Asimov/dp/055338256X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1297368921&sr=8-4">I, Robot</a>’ and ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instructions-Adam-Levin/dp/1934781827/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297368943&sr=1-1">The Instructions</a>’.<br />
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I’m going to jump right into a book review<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk9KDsuIBxOcPdikQ0hLkanmXTsdx0z_VIL0n77Nb3NaIe-xvHgrKstitumT7rQZlCiQmckoC1hwCwdX-rbk_W46VqNtyHQ0LFYMWaka8Zm9xn3IEhamKouLrrGcjl5_aoknJMQdwr0Kw/s1600/8437766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk9KDsuIBxOcPdikQ0hLkanmXTsdx0z_VIL0n77Nb3NaIe-xvHgrKstitumT7rQZlCiQmckoC1hwCwdX-rbk_W46VqNtyHQ0LFYMWaka8Zm9xn3IEhamKouLrrGcjl5_aoknJMQdwr0Kw/s400/8437766.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>After all the hype that Hannah Pittard’s “The Fates Will Find Their Way” was getting from book bloggers, I pre-ordered my copy and dove in the day it was released. The book certainly lived up to my expectations and is now my go-to recommendation so far for the year. The book is a very atmospheric, dream-like story that examines the impact a local tragedy has on a group of young boys. Sixteen year old Nora Lindell vanishes from her upper middle class town on Halloween in the mid 1970s and is never seen again. Stories surrounding her disappearance and fate multiply and grow into full fledged fantasies. Was she kidnapped by a smooth talking stranger at the airport? Did she flee to Arizona to stay with relatives, marrying a hard working old Mexican? Or did she find her way to India and take up with a female companion? The boys spend hours discussing and dissecting her life and family, not realizing the lifelong effect this will have on their lives. The novel bounces back and forth between their teenage years and life as grown adults with children and families of their own and not only focuses on Nora Lindell, but also on their loss of innocence and fear of becoming an adult. As you go deeper into the book, the secrets and private drama of the town residents are slowly revealed and you watch as lives are ruined and people die before their time. Adding to the group voice and tone of the story is Pittard’s choice to write in first person plural. In the end, you realize that the boys don’t really want to discover what happened to Nora and her place in their hearts and minds is slowly drains away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2zkpYgaXLoSeBnb-7WnbEAWIUt-TXcHU5k8_BQLoERuLxzMtBHUSwkS2dVZX5tMWlHLqG63K2aocYBYToXfLSy-lnXuch9xOCChwCfG5UYAaHDH88sJzdsf1jJKRg9ik9cUlEzysXCnk/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2zkpYgaXLoSeBnb-7WnbEAWIUt-TXcHU5k8_BQLoERuLxzMtBHUSwkS2dVZX5tMWlHLqG63K2aocYBYToXfLSy-lnXuch9xOCChwCfG5UYAaHDH88sJzdsf1jJKRg9ik9cUlEzysXCnk/s200/images.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCpvkImCjGR11mii_9F9TRT-R29dMP838MXBRQD3Tkmb_kw26dIfzELDqPVDQTanraSmEg6H5XaXLANJbbB-CUE4rHfzIXQJO1bkaMl2nzlj8XitSioKfrkDkIW0hTwApS4la3NK2Rmup/s1600/41yoDSWzJqL._SL500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCpvkImCjGR11mii_9F9TRT-R29dMP838MXBRQD3Tkmb_kw26dIfzELDqPVDQTanraSmEg6H5XaXLANJbbB-CUE4rHfzIXQJO1bkaMl2nzlj8XitSioKfrkDkIW0hTwApS4la3NK2Rmup/s200/41yoDSWzJqL._SL500_.jpg" width="129" /></a>The novel reminds me very much of The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides; in fact this may be its only fault. However, while both books are written from the perspective of a group of boys obsessed with the tragedy of a girl(s) in the 1970s, Pittard’s novel also focused on the theme of growing up/becoming an adult and therefore does indeed stand on its own. I was also reminded, strangely, of the movie “Brick”, though I can’t actually figure out why. The book is neither snappy nor noir like the movie, but occasionally I would be reminded of the movie when the boys would get together and discuss different rumors and gossip about Nora. <br />
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I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is craving a quick, intense read (and really, who isn’t?). Follow this <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/05/133464665/a-lost-girl-and-found-imaginations-in-the-fates">link</a> for an audio interview with Hannah Pittard, as well as an excerpt from the book.Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-74523337134187792042011-01-09T13:56:00.000-08:002011-01-09T14:06:25.629-08:00Sunday Funday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YRlGWFhU-halZrYZl5Yu4gUe8lQ3GM0ScXMjb-abxm8VtUerQKG8Ge7jTBifQOjWen1g7ZmWjSCghNwaBF6fSINwYQZEqtHH_QXv0I4sT1C2v89LXdIL8bu89BJxkxy5CK7-k0m9PPC7/s1600/me+and+scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YRlGWFhU-halZrYZl5Yu4gUe8lQ3GM0ScXMjb-abxm8VtUerQKG8Ge7jTBifQOjWen1g7ZmWjSCghNwaBF6fSINwYQZEqtHH_QXv0I4sT1C2v89LXdIL8bu89BJxkxy5CK7-k0m9PPC7/s320/me+and+scooter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mmmm Sundays. My favorite day of the week to relax with coffee and a good book. This Sunday was even better because I was joined by my parents' super fluffy kitten, Scooter! I really haven't had a totally relaxing, stress-free day in the past 4 weeks so this was exactly what I needed.<br />
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I'm flying through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crooked-Letter-Novel/dp/0060594667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294609447&sr=1-1">Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin</a>, based off of <a href="http://www.thebookladysblog.com/2010/10/20/book-review-crooked-letter-crooked-letter-by-tom-franklin/">the review</a> from <a href="http://www.thebookladysblog.com/">The Book Lady's Blog</a>. It's an extremely engaging yet dark and twisty story that takes place in Mississippi. The disappearance of a local girl prompts the small town police to question Larry Ott, who was accused but never convicted of raping and murdering a girl who also disappeared 20 years ago. The case causes the constable, who had befriened Ott as a child, to relive the troubled friendship and as the case unravels, so do secrets from their shared past.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLegI1YhIODL1oylQSQhI0LaZeJkNW8OJfPtu44orHYjhZP8r9rP_J2qxYElVh9Y21onU76xrYKKF50RY6BjqvSTRJ1PMweCxBIrCj4riEMJsdmuMxL9kEKl9nPn5gozg8p6ge7wcXCgI/s1600/crooked+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLegI1YhIODL1oylQSQhI0LaZeJkNW8OJfPtu44orHYjhZP8r9rP_J2qxYElVh9Y21onU76xrYKKF50RY6BjqvSTRJ1PMweCxBIrCj4riEMJsdmuMxL9kEKl9nPn5gozg8p6ge7wcXCgI/s320/crooked+letter.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm only 50 pages from the end and I have a feeling I'll be finishing it within the hour. It's exactly the kind of southern gothic quick read I was looking for today. Earlier in the week I asked twitter for their favorite quick but awesome reads. Tell me your favorite in the comments!Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-88685895977958060622011-01-04T07:52:00.000-08:002011-01-04T13:01:51.382-08:00I'm baaaaaaaaack<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB81yUKyKepvmO1dT7KyPXaEjY7_EHwfiSm1Rz9AkM3peYA1IGn1ZZZjdgKsaersuY32wudOJ9n_pi7Ql3yYQy2v_TVOanUxm2bC97kbKxyhkPzHFam_9datfb6AxNPtGRMnk4iV77fL3p/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB81yUKyKepvmO1dT7KyPXaEjY7_EHwfiSm1Rz9AkM3peYA1IGn1ZZZjdgKsaersuY32wudOJ9n_pi7Ql3yYQy2v_TVOanUxm2bC97kbKxyhkPzHFam_9datfb6AxNPtGRMnk4iV77fL3p/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a>Happy New Year! Or should I say, Bonne Année! I'm back in the good old US of A and comfortably ensconced in my daily routine again, though my sleep cycles are still screwed up.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Being in France again was equal parts awesome and frustrating; awesome = gorgeous boulevards, awesome museums and delicious coffee, frustrating = my rusty French, being vegetarian in a meat-lovers paradise, and angry CDG airport employees. Probably the best moment was being in front of Notre Dame when the clock hit midnight and hundreds of tourists and French people started screaming BONNE ANNEE as we popped champagne and staggered down the streets next to the Seine. We capped off the night with a nutella-banana crepe and it was amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I could talk about the trip for hours but this is a blog about books not my vacation, so to bring it back on target I want to tell you about my book buying binges in France. When it was all said and done, we only managed to fit in 2 anglo-bookstores (<a href="http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/">Shakespeare and Company</a> and <a href="http://www.alevdesign.com/abbey/abbey_en.html">The Abbey</a>, a Canadian bookstore) out of the 8 or 9 I had on my list. However, that turned out to be more than enough to feed my habit. The most exciting thing about book shopping in Paris is access to all the beautiful UK editions of books, specifically <a href="http://www.penguin.co.uk/">Penguin UK</a>, <a href="http://www.picador.com/">Picador</a> and <a href="http://www.vintage-books.co.uk/">Vintage</a> books. Between the two of us, Jon and I snapped up 4 of <a href="http://www.cb-smith.com/index.php?/clothbound/f-scott-fitzgerald/">Coralie Bickford-Smith's</a> collection of redesigned F. Scott Fitzgerald classics, a beautiful Viking edition of Nicole Krauss’s The Great House, the gorgeous Picador editions of Cormac McCarthy’s Sutree, Outer Dark and Blood Meridian, a Picador edition of DeLillo’s Point Omega, a Vintage Classics edition of Heller's Catch-22, a Penguin UK edition of Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and a <a href="http://www.whitesbooks.com/">White's Books pocket classic</a> of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir79TJgzTv03yQzuTiLpf7GMlLk2UfSdbnJwfDJjQ2NxxQKgnoDZxGaz7W9akEugfFiqA_trVy4oPmQCJweYqQKd2X8DwXs8BLid_urxu2ZrBSRLIM69Kj2CxN8sTgm2VlD6QkegnRhVTu/s1600/spines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir79TJgzTv03yQzuTiLpf7GMlLk2UfSdbnJwfDJjQ2NxxQKgnoDZxGaz7W9akEugfFiqA_trVy4oPmQCJweYqQKd2X8DwXs8BLid_urxu2ZrBSRLIM69Kj2CxN8sTgm2VlD6QkegnRhVTu/s320/spines.jpg" width="288" /></a>I already owned most of the books that I bought, but I couldn't help myself! I constantly wonder why UK editions are so much better designed than US editions; not to say that US books aren't pretty, but I always find myself attracted to the UK versions so much more. Do the British just have better taste? I am seriously considering more vacations to Europe just to buy more UK books (not that I really need an excuse to want to go back to Europe!).<br />
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Now that I have quite a few duplicate books, I'm thinking about doing some book give-aways consiting of my (gently used) US copies. Would anyone be interested in winning free books? FREE! BOOKS! Just need to think of fun little contests, HMMM.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">More pictures of the beautiful beautiful books we bought after the jump.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fObmLUJ0EvhoWH6vSW6iDnS8keA7HkyHGMoaDawshE0OKabxQ7QtAuzR8lPRT-cwit9uPK8fyxWuM9ZUCqebai263HtSsNcT0N5I3NFmiyiu4nepX2HzZ625ayUo8t9M5_iOwPdLKc49/s1600/catch22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fObmLUJ0EvhoWH6vSW6iDnS8keA7HkyHGMoaDawshE0OKabxQ7QtAuzR8lPRT-cwit9uPK8fyxWuM9ZUCqebai263HtSsNcT0N5I3NFmiyiu4nepX2HzZ625ayUo8t9M5_iOwPdLKc49/s200/catch22.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI5A6GU6YnV9eBUCS7rJ8RtXOCRMApnPWRgfI43qhPFWUOuC__4sD1seXUsPilUBrz_tVpqI1jliNG_r5xHZ6Ag6J6aJ3SfA0jkmladLTD6abgCQteUYOlUlVI4Df4iyeQGnL7yXVHSgn/s1600/omega.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI5A6GU6YnV9eBUCS7rJ8RtXOCRMApnPWRgfI43qhPFWUOuC__4sD1seXUsPilUBrz_tVpqI1jliNG_r5xHZ6Ag6J6aJ3SfA0jkmladLTD6abgCQteUYOlUlVI4Df4iyeQGnL7yXVHSgn/s200/omega.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsOBqekTdEfVlalpdM441LsoBw3ZfDbfGziDbvKOE08qvmVJWXe-RhqSGx8BIaghxAuAsmSyH8TMRnn6NH_WSRcgCMWCQ3VuAfVVnX91dJIiX22fh_X64_H3p1_VRTj-CVHnjnHDcjybG/s1600/dunces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsOBqekTdEfVlalpdM441LsoBw3ZfDbfGziDbvKOE08qvmVJWXe-RhqSGx8BIaghxAuAsmSyH8TMRnn6NH_WSRcgCMWCQ3VuAfVVnX91dJIiX22fh_X64_H3p1_VRTj-CVHnjnHDcjybG/s200/dunces.jpg" width="157" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcRzQEjz_YpqEa4L3ijuOOvwA9rXrax42HP4wifqd3GPXT9GGVgiV1KyvV582JJAIDLrkXfiMdGxR23LwganTwa9VYRSaN0vWi9PQDUFWrvTBlkPMmN2SU5BpRYj1NlkACFhcxqAF9R1x/s1600/house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcRzQEjz_YpqEa4L3ijuOOvwA9rXrax42HP4wifqd3GPXT9GGVgiV1KyvV582JJAIDLrkXfiMdGxR23LwganTwa9VYRSaN0vWi9PQDUFWrvTBlkPMmN2SU5BpRYj1NlkACFhcxqAF9R1x/s200/house.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMf3SbTw55ANv67hPw9EBKB8iXw2NVVQc1OCLdooA6fhS0mlAW_IQh3r0oRdgs2Nh7KJFBoFlld7nC6n7BinsxPiv_8_VFfefKBo6Xn_yj_u44lpyrzgv7xw79iP8__NoONu9TFStEuyR/s1600/white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMf3SbTw55ANv67hPw9EBKB8iXw2NVVQc1OCLdooA6fhS0mlAW_IQh3r0oRdgs2Nh7KJFBoFlld7nC6n7BinsxPiv_8_VFfefKBo6Xn_yj_u44lpyrzgv7xw79iP8__NoONu9TFStEuyR/s320/white.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKegGnT_CnC9nVTFKxc_akJV3nxAr3z9pJwoHmKfkGJf1bfgDYaXAKylJTgmko-CCBo0jo78PwI5oIHSIjo-0yMXCxuOWh8FiTQ1l7UnsKsmZqCq-KlUC13DAH0gTrLzfKnHUzddR_QSU/s1600/fitzgerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKegGnT_CnC9nVTFKxc_akJV3nxAr3z9pJwoHmKfkGJf1bfgDYaXAKylJTgmko-CCBo0jo78PwI5oIHSIjo-0yMXCxuOWh8FiTQ1l7UnsKsmZqCq-KlUC13DAH0gTrLzfKnHUzddR_QSU/s1600/fitzgerald.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEgHtcL2xb1jBdUlZpQQ2y2ZU8UOrVKOElmzuZFsBDd50t8_k3xZCR8I86Speay3CpscP5Xhyphenhyphen0wx88JLyfRkL-zMHSorNZhfjZHhE9sseM1Jm7O8_2QPbfmG0xl7KuSoMwzLVPDrugtXu/s1600/mccarthy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEgHtcL2xb1jBdUlZpQQ2y2ZU8UOrVKOElmzuZFsBDd50t8_k3xZCR8I86Speay3CpscP5Xhyphenhyphen0wx88JLyfRkL-zMHSorNZhfjZHhE9sseM1Jm7O8_2QPbfmG0xl7KuSoMwzLVPDrugtXu/s1600/mccarthy.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-88597997598453324542010-12-21T07:13:00.000-08:002010-12-21T07:13:20.894-08:00End of the year wrap-up: An OCD girl's guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBViAORzk77PNXwScAW7osefJ1ytmsOygoovqcvonSjs5VAj4gv-7Ys6s0xsPLuCdSgSpP74e5eQ1k_yjKx7q68y11M-NQFSjsz56IOdiLLu0K4ed3p8yTo1LqTJXZMx7vYsrj7f2Bo63V/s1600/Bookcharm-Eiffel-Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBViAORzk77PNXwScAW7osefJ1ytmsOygoovqcvonSjs5VAj4gv-7Ys6s0xsPLuCdSgSpP74e5eQ1k_yjKx7q68y11M-NQFSjsz56IOdiLLu0K4ed3p8yTo1LqTJXZMx7vYsrj7f2Bo63V/s400/Bookcharm-Eiffel-Tower.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>So Christmas and the New Year are almost here and I'm about to take off to Paris with Jon for 9 days. It's been 7 years since I've last been and I'm really excited to look at the city through new, grown-up eyes. The thing I'm probably most looking forward to (besides gorging on delicious delicious stinky cheese) is checking out the bookstores. Not just <a href="http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/">Shakespeare and Company</a> but <a href="http://www.villagevoicebookshop.com/">Village Voice</a>, <a href="http://www.alevdesign.com/abbey/abbey_en.html">The Abbey</a>, <a href="http://www.teaandtatteredpages.com/">Tea and Tattered Pages</a>, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=San+Francisco+book+co+paris&fb=1&gl=us&hq=San+Francisco+book+co&hnear=Paris,+France&cid=14276885417602425934">San Francisco Book Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.bookstoreguide.org/2007/09/paris-fra.html">and all the rest</a>. Of course this is not including the awesome bookstore/boutique at the <a href="http://boutique.centrepompidou.fr/">Centre Pompidou</a> and all the <a href="http://www.fnac.com/">FNACs </a>I plan on visiting to stock up on cheap french <a href="http://www.livredepoche.com/">livres de poche</a>. My partner in crime is giving me hell for thinking about bringing a small suitcase in addition to my large suitcase just in case I buy too many books (or wine). He'll just have to deal.<br />
<br />
Anyway, as I think about this year in reading, I have to say I'm slightly disappointed. Because I'm OCD, I like to keep a list of everything I've read in a year (you probably do too, right?) and it's neat to look over. Some months I was a reading machine and other months I could barely finish a fluffy book. I read a lot of comics in January and July and surprisingly my most reading-est month was October. I posted my list below in case you're also an OCD list maker/checker (also, post your list in the comments if you keep one, of course I want to examine what you read too!) I also set some "new year" goals for 2011 for reading:<br />
<br />
1. I WILL finish The Instructions and start and finish Infinte Jest. I just will. <br />
2. I will find another comic series to devour (maybe Transmetropolitan?) <br />
3. I will read over 100 books again.<br />
4. I WILL READ MORE NON-FICTION<br />
5. Read more published-in-2011 books so reviews and recommendations can be timely.<br />
<br />
Regarding #3 - I know, I know, size doesn't matter, but come on. It kind of does. Weirdly, I read the most when I was in graduate school and working a full time job; I think I hit 120 books that year. So really, I have no excuses. If I can just figure out a way to not fall asleep every time I lay down to read, I might actually accomplish it.<br />
<br />
What are your book reading goals, if you have any? Can you recommend any good non-fiction? Do you think I'm weird for having book goals? <br />
<br />
My full list after the jump<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>January 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1. Hard Rain Falling – Don Carpenter</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">2. Nine Stories – J.D. Salinger</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3. A Way of Life Like Any Other – Darcy O’Brian</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">4. Stitches: a memoir – David Small (graphic novel)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">5. A Fair Maiden – Joyce Carol Oates</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">6. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1-5 – Bryan Lee O’Malley</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">7. The Walking Dead Vol. 1-11 – Robert Kirkman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>February 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">8. There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales – Ludmilla Petrushevskaya</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">9. And The Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks – Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">10. The Boat – Nam Le</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>March 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">11. Burmese Days – George Orwell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">12. Galapagos – Kurt Vonnegut</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>April 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">13. Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">14. Committed – Elizabeth Gilbert</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>May 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">15. Fishtown (comic) – Kevin Colden</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">16. Any Easy Intimacy (comic) - Jeffrey Brown </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">17. Eat When You Feel Sad – Zachary German</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">18. Dimanche and Other Stories – Irene Nemirovsky</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">19. The Plague – Albert Camus</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">20. Livability – Jon Raymond</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>June 2010 </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">21. The Chrysalids – John Wyndham</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">22. The Most Beautiful Book in the World – Eric- Emmanuel Schmitt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">23. Hotel Iris – Yoko Ogawa</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">24. Medium Raw – Anthony Bourdain</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">25. On a Dollar a Day – Christopher Greenslate & Kerri Leonard</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">26. How Did You Get This Number – Sloane Crosley</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>July 2010 </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">27. Mr. Peanut – Adam Ross</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">28. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne – Brian Moore</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">29. After the Fall – Kylie Ladd</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">30. Y the Last Man, vol. 1-10 – Brian K. Vaughn</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">31. Bad Marie – Marcy Dermansky</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>August 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">32. A Common Pornography – Kevin Sampell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">33. Blood Meridian – Cormac McCarthy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">34. The Group – Mary McCarthy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">35. My Abandonment – Peter Rock</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">36. True Grit – Charles Portis</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">37. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet – David Mitchell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>September 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">38. Freedom – Jonathan Franzen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">39. Sourland – Joyce Carol Oates</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">40. Room – Emma Donaghue</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>October 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">41. Await Your Reply – Dan Chaon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">42. Skippy Dies – Paul Murray</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">43. 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter of a Ton and Gained a Life – Nancy Makin</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">44. Let the Right One In – John Ajuvide Lindqvist</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">45. Brooklyn – Colm Toibin</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">46. Outer Dark – Cormac McCarthy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">47. Let The Great World Spin – Colum McCann</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">48. This is Where I Leave You – Jonathon Tropper</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">49. The Secret Lives of People in Love – Simon Van Booy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">50. We Were the Mulvaneys – Joyce Carol Oates</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">51. Little Bird From Heaven – Joyce Carol Oates</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">52. Walking Dead #12</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>November 2010</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">53. Celebrity Chekhov – Ben Greenman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">54. The World According to Garp – John Irving</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">55. Devil in the White City – Erik Larson</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>December 2010 </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">56. Arkansas – John Brandon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">57. The Imperfectionists – Tom Rochman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">58. Where Men Win Glory – Jon Krakauer</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">59. Mr. Toppit – Charles Elton</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">60. Just Kids – Patti Smith</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Books I attempted but failed to finish (but still have illusions of finishing)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>1. The Instructions – Adam Levin</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>2. Lords of Misrule – Jaimy Gordon</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>3. Wuthering Heights</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>4. I, Robot – Isaac Asimov</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b>5. Foundation I – Isaac Asimov</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-73504045316517724672010-12-15T11:44:00.000-08:002010-12-15T12:29:35.216-08:00What to Read Wednesday: Best Books of 2010<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y7fetbtecJOQJNj0NPBZ8RHGczdueKdvt28ZSsEIz86GOK6DmML-bIaq6yd3XAD0Gcl9lKymH-nyAe9b_zvHxzmSdSgdHifjuL8F-6ZX2Th1BsjjBWC5Cbxj6VA_yq8o53lQXx4M-f94/s1600/2010header.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y7fetbtecJOQJNj0NPBZ8RHGczdueKdvt28ZSsEIz86GOK6DmML-bIaq6yd3XAD0Gcl9lKymH-nyAe9b_zvHxzmSdSgdHifjuL8F-6ZX2Th1BsjjBWC5Cbxj6VA_yq8o53lQXx4M-f94/s1600/2010header.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ok, confession time. My reading list this year did not include as many new releases as I would have liked, therefore, instead of doing a top 10 list of books published in 2010, I’m going to do my favorite books that I *read* in 2010. I just didn’t read enough new books to even justify having a top 10 list, but I swear, I'll do better next year! I picked my favorite new book of the year along with my favorite non-new book out of the top 10.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In no particular order (or more accurately, the order in which I read them this year): </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYJheYI4v09HuHLwtsGuv3_OhFv91yVdQPjNHX99vT17MpMpCq_WlHzt4B0BtA5CT7BFvFEQsrpj1ckRBuIoW1iycBnaBr7rodJr5DqV34XHCtK4gjP3E6KnbUaTma2kQjVJTzvqlN78n/s1600/hardrain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYJheYI4v09HuHLwtsGuv3_OhFv91yVdQPjNHX99vT17MpMpCq_WlHzt4B0BtA5CT7BFvFEQsrpj1ckRBuIoW1iycBnaBr7rodJr5DqV34XHCtK4gjP3E6KnbUaTma2kQjVJTzvqlN78n/s1600/hardrain.gif" /></a>10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Falling-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590173244/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292421360&sr=8-1"><b>Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter</b></a><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I picked up this book on a whim while I was going through my NYRB phase (which I’m still going through actually). The summary on the back intrigued me and the book didn’t disappoint. I have to admit that I have a big soft spot for gritty, down-and-out narratives taking place in Pacific Northwest/California during the 1940s and 50s. This is the story of an unwanted kid who, upon escaping from an orphanage, grows up in rough pool halls and makes his way down the western coast hustling money and getting into fights, which at one point lands him in prison. This grim book follows the journey of a man who is unable to escape his fate and is very similar to Georges Simenon's roman dur novels.<br />
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<i><b>More after the jump! </b></i><br />
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<a name='more'></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-24Vm6Wf-QRVn7Nm0kdHo2pH2lV3KjnVj76Prh0YI_08LCT4hWBiiwXLPBQaD3yOoQaXU8ZmIQ_mYpZ61r5c_oOnbWeQuENqbGp7SC_anrWDczaEpwzEaHY1uDPNKOLbFXFfnnHaSvsL/s1600/hippos.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-24Vm6Wf-QRVn7Nm0kdHo2pH2lV3KjnVj76Prh0YI_08LCT4hWBiiwXLPBQaD3yOoQaXU8ZmIQ_mYpZ61r5c_oOnbWeQuENqbGp7SC_anrWDczaEpwzEaHY1uDPNKOLbFXFfnnHaSvsL/s1600/hippos.gif" /></a>9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hippos-Were-Boiled-Their-Tanks/dp/0802144349/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421423&sr=1-1"><b>And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Though written early on in Kerouac and Burroughs’ careers, this book was finally published in 2009, more than 60 years after it was written and is a true account of the murder of one of their friends. The story is told in alternating chapters by both Kerouac and Burroughs and it’s quite enjoyable to see the two different writing styles back to back as well as see the different points of view on the incident. The story itself is intensely compelling and I really liked the window into the seedy and often poor bohemian lifestyle of the beat generation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_zzM_IWdIhR6EvznO3qY_ieZm8aGc_wQxFnhpPD7eoVqC9gdsxsLcQRUCuhG4BmSCMPhkNbsn6P-oHck5s3z6iJED9DkOpV0IOPBRQRAU7xsgZDZdqz6s56ZW7BCOkBK9Y6gKs0Snl-/s1600/burmesedays.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_zzM_IWdIhR6EvznO3qY_ieZm8aGc_wQxFnhpPD7eoVqC9gdsxsLcQRUCuhG4BmSCMPhkNbsn6P-oHck5s3z6iJED9DkOpV0IOPBRQRAU7xsgZDZdqz6s56ZW7BCOkBK9Y6gKs0Snl-/s1600/burmesedays.gif" /></a>8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burmese-Days-Novel-George-Orwell/dp/0156148501/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421499&sr=1-1"><b>Burmese Days by George Orwell</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I started really getting into Orwell this year and my life is better because of it. Of course, I read 1984 and Animal Farm in high school like most people and adored them, but his other novels are something altogether different in a good and surprising way, and it’s a shame that he’s mostly known for the previous two books. This is one of his classic colonialist books and does an excellent job of transporting you to 1920s imperialist Burma, where the white British soldiers have exclusive clubs where they can drink gin and look down on the natives, whom them employ as servants and mistresses. Based on Orwell’s own experiences as an expatriate soldier in Burma, this is a story about the waning days of Britain’s imperialism after World War I. The novel touches on race, class and politics while keeping a dark sense of humor and ultimately draws a bleak picture of 20th century colonialism. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpPlr0rW3cFSWBfN0qrJqePU0L5adJgoh8OK72RkvHXKAXAxz4PZkLzvf5lQpymt-C1qTit51aFvwhVMo_5ocudpn7vDbzOzzOVjtzTSp6zF_qXkshSTf_mx_9nmgHdFXsixZc8jgiIHS/s1600/mrpeanut.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpPlr0rW3cFSWBfN0qrJqePU0L5adJgoh8OK72RkvHXKAXAxz4PZkLzvf5lQpymt-C1qTit51aFvwhVMo_5ocudpn7vDbzOzzOVjtzTSp6zF_qXkshSTf_mx_9nmgHdFXsixZc8jgiIHS/s1600/mrpeanut.gif" /></a></div>7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peanut-Borzoi-Books-Adam-Ross/dp/030727070X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421547&sr=1-1"><b>Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross</b></a><br />
This debut novel from Adam Ross was a close finalist for my favorite novel of 2010 and I'm sad to see that it wasn't on any of the "Best Of" lists that I read. That’s unfortunate because this is an extremely dark and fascinatingly imaginative book that has the best opening line of a book I’ve read in a long time: “When David Pepin first dreamed of killing his wife, he didn’t kill her himself. He dreamed convenient acts of God.” The book itself follows the lives of several men and explores the dark side of marriage. When David Pepin’s wife indeed ends up dead, Mr. Pepin is investigated by 2 detectives, Ward Hastroll and Sam Sheppard (yes THE Sam Sheppard who in real life was accused of murdering his wife Marilyn). The investigation eventually leads them to a bizarre wife murdering hit man named Mobius and further alludes to the repetitiveness and futility of marriage (mobius strips and M.C. Escher play minor roles in the book). Along the way, the book explores the grim marriages of the three male characters and the most intriguing, in my opinion, was the re-imagining of Sam and Marilyn Sheppard’s relationship and eventual downfall. There are a few weak areas of the book including some dreamy sequences and leaps of imagination, but overall this is a richly complex book that will make you think and ask questions for weeks after finishing.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC4TyjTolvOR9-ODip57C3K5K7v8BLWopM2ixi6BKGA5s0tKAWVZ6KdPG_O64FfNHQgzf-NaQhGWyihPjDFGmZiNjQ7wBjKbtjVPRRC9knO97QfjkyDMZucnGIu3sHG9Qu97aOVDmAFQz/s1600/4b.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC4TyjTolvOR9-ODip57C3K5K7v8BLWopM2ixi6BKGA5s0tKAWVZ6KdPG_O64FfNHQgzf-NaQhGWyihPjDFGmZiNjQ7wBjKbtjVPRRC9knO97QfjkyDMZucnGIu3sHG9Qu97aOVDmAFQz/s1600/4b.gif" /></a><br />
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6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Abandonment-Peter-Rock/dp/0156035529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421593&sr=1-1"><b>My Abandonment by Peter Rock</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <a href="http://nakedandtheread.blogspot.com/2010/11/booksgiving.html">See review here</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421630&sr=1-1"><b>Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <a href="http://nakedandtheread.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-to-read-wednesday-bears-that-dance.html">See review here</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Room-Novel-Emma-Donoghue/dp/0316098337/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421661&sr=1-1"><b>Room by Emma Donoghue</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://nakedandtheread.blogspot.com/2010/11/booksgiving.html">See review here</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Tom-Rachman/dp/0385343671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421753&sr=1-1"><b>The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <a href="http://nakedandtheread.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-report-imperfectionists-by-tom.html">See review here</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<i><b>Now for the good stuff! My favorite "old" book of 2010:</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU8KDEKwqi0wnH-LzzhDd9fB8ysbNegwT3p9GHoWC87WC4-trixTPSelzlte3eqClaeE0VsA9AYT_u9Y-jeKC7qKNxF0GENAmwkX5TpvJxYvnxGdkvuhT9mVcDUeadPDBHhsgTdwn7YvO/s1600/garp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU8KDEKwqi0wnH-LzzhDd9fB8ysbNegwT3p9GHoWC87WC4-trixTPSelzlte3eqClaeE0VsA9AYT_u9Y-jeKC7qKNxF0GENAmwkX5TpvJxYvnxGdkvuhT9mVcDUeadPDBHhsgTdwn7YvO/s1600/garp.gif" /></a> 2.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-According-Garp-Modern-Library/dp/0679603069/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421699&sr=1-1"><b>World According to Garp by John Irving</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’ll be honest, I’m always wary of hugely popular authors that seem to churn out a million books, so I wasn’t really eager to read any of Irving's books. However, I discovered that Modern Library had republished three of his best known novels (The World According to Garp, Prayer for Owen Meany, and Cider House Rules) and the edition for World According to Garp was so nice that I bought the book despite my stubbornness. When I finally got around to reading it, I wondered what took me so long! Narrated by T.S. Garp himself, the book covers his mother's eccentric beginnings and anti-men ideology and follows both her and Garp throughout their lives. The story takes you to a private boys school where Garp falls in love, to Vienna where Garp and his mother live while he tries to become a great author, to the suburbs where Garp raises a family and endures tragic heartbreak. There's also a group of women who cut off their tongues, grimy circus performers and a transsexual woman who used to be a tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles. This is an epic and beautiful book that held me captive for all 720 pages and I already can't wait until I read it again. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><b>and, DRUMROLL, my favorite "new" book of 2010:</b></i></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOc1ydlL24LDtx-IJOVPPhCJGy0I6oGccnAL7RavS6nR1e7aKtAcJo8Jp_DOXjUSBEW9ZQaTe2UHf8a9EZ9J0yKP76T-1Q-5P84hJSVreWw7LaYpP7xKSrBiJ9OvPqC9twCj93KfefrBX/s1600/skippydies.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOc1ydlL24LDtx-IJOVPPhCJGy0I6oGccnAL7RavS6nR1e7aKtAcJo8Jp_DOXjUSBEW9ZQaTe2UHf8a9EZ9J0yKP76T-1Q-5P84hJSVreWw7LaYpP7xKSrBiJ9OvPqC9twCj93KfefrBX/s1600/skippydies.gif" /></a>1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skippy-Dies-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0865479437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292422177&sr=1-1"><b>Skippy Dies by Paul Murray</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I wasn't really sure what to expect after reading the vague but inruiging book jacket summary, so the book took me by surprise with how absolutely incredible it was. And like the book jacket summary, my review is equally vague because the plot simply covers so much! This story begins at a somewhat prestigious boys school called Seabrook in Dublin and follows the life of a gang of boys who live at the academy year round. Within the first few pages, the protagonist, Skippy, dies on the floor of a donut shop after writing his love's name in the jelly squeezed out of a donut. The rest of this darkly comic novel is spent backtracking to the beginning of that autumn when a mysterious and rotund new student named Ruprecht Van Doren transfers to Seabrook and becomes Skippy's roommate. The circle of boys ponder quantum physics, lust after girls, get in fights and generally act like dirty minded teenage boys. At the same time, there are also salcious and entertaining sub plots involving drugs, slutty pop star adoration, pedophilic priests, adulterous teachers and sexy coed liasons. This is truly a sweeping novel and is so deliciously captivating that despite its length (672 pages), you won't be able to put it down and won't want it to end.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Marie-Novel-Marcy-Dermansky/dp/0061914711/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421817&sr=1-1"><b>Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky</b></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Livability-Stories-Jon-Raymond/dp/1596916559/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292421863&sr=1-1"><b>Livability: Stories by Jon Raymond</b></a><br />
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Now it's your turn, what were your favorite books of (or just read in) 2010? Seriously, I wanna know.</div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-63666518478993267142010-12-14T08:06:00.000-08:002010-12-14T11:11:48.166-08:00Book Report: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://kcougs.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/imperfectionists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://kcougs.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/imperfectionists.jpg" width="212" /></a>I picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Tom-Rachman/dp/0385343663/ref=pd_sim_b_5">The Imperfectionists</a> on a whim, really. It hadn't been on my radar until someone recommended it to me at a bookstore over Thanksgiving, so I bought it, partly because I loved the black negative space of the cover. Needing a break from some of the larger books I’ve been plodding through, I started reading it and was surprised at how much I absolutely loved this debut novel from Tom Rachman.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9vUSv8lkltG8QDLLd5zIa9gJBuVEPuGey2Gaj19SrSf1iMOr1w-VXLdx6JtofXhT4J918JnKB54eILAba9gmRW6PN_hITUdeUGE_-efwld7f9ggVrMYeNnOtLh5vA0315i8nSZhcJrt-/s1600/imperfectionists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The book throws you into the chaotic life of a struggling international newspaper based in Rome, as told through the voices of the different copywriters, reporters and editors who work there. Interspersed between the stories of the characters in the present are short chapters that follow the founding and evolution of the paper under Cyrus Ott, including the Ott family saga. The stories themselves are a mix of tragic and comic elements, focusing on the everyday problems of the characters; sometimes the paper plays a large role in their lives and sometimes it’s merely in the background. The emphasis is really on each character’s peculiar life and the way in which the newspaper touches them. Though the themes in each account are common (adultery, death, disillusionment, loneliness), the prose is timeless and crackles with wit and satire. Many of the chapters had me laughing and I was genuinely sad to finish this novel because I wanted it to keep going. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The overlapping and interconnected way in which the narratives are written really worked well. Instead of being simply a collection of fragmented short stories, they all weave together to form a cohesive overall chronicle of the minor peaks and eventual decline of a small newspaper and its employees. Not surprisingly, the book is written by a newspaper man himself, which gives it an air of authenticity and credibility. Though he claims to have always wanted to be a writer, Tom Rachman was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press and an editor at the International Herald Tribune in Paris before attempting this <span style="font-family: inherit;">book. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">While the novel may suffer from over-hype and somewhat clichéd metaphors, its charm lies in the quiet awkwardness of the characters and it would be a crime to dismiss it. </span></span></div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-62209566589448648252010-12-08T08:11:00.000-08:002010-12-08T09:05:50.460-08:00What to Read Wednesday: Bears that dance, bears that don’t.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FLowGusKKRfWiTaLFkndtCS6Srgu6QonH1TuAGEctHQ_4PSqqanvOqfBMJJHPzD2yoIG1dcyRZ872hmpLune95sk2dueqJHdXGRew4NfD6JQMLNkmUJAftXh8UuBc7uTx7IbV67FxSA2/s1600/blood_meridian.large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FLowGusKKRfWiTaLFkndtCS6Srgu6QonH1TuAGEctHQ_4PSqqanvOqfBMJJHPzD2yoIG1dcyRZ872hmpLune95sk2dueqJHdXGRew4NfD6JQMLNkmUJAftXh8UuBc7uTx7IbV67FxSA2/s400/blood_meridian.large.jpg" width="260" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Because I’m in a grumpy, coffee-deprived mood, I’m feeling especially murderous, therefore my recommendation today will be The Most Violent Book I’ve Ever Read, better known as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian-Evening-Redness-West/dp/0679728759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291824524&sr=8-1">Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy</a>. Also, not coincidentally, it’s one of my favorite books ever. Cormac McCarthy, probably best known for writing All The Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country for Old Men, wrote this book in 1985, and despite not being conventionally popular (outside of McCarthy devotees), this is by far the best book he’s ever written, in my opinion. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On the surface it looks like a classic western: outlaws, Indians, scalpings, riding on horses through the Wild West. But don’t let that dissuade you, because this book is so much more than that. The loose story follows a teenager, only referred to as “The Kid,” who runs away from his father at which point he first meets the hairless, obese and ominous Judge Holden, who makes a horrific first impression. The Kid then joins a rough, marauding gang that hunts Indians for the bounty on their scalps. As the gang makes their way along the US-Mexico border, they encounter ruthless Indian mobs, desiccated villages and encoutner The Judge again, who becomes their (almost biblical) leader. He guides them, sometimes under the threat of death, throughout the rough and barren countryside, hunting both Indians and bystanders. Many of the characters meet gruesome or meaningless fates and the end of the novel speeds ahead several decades to a brawling barroom featuring a dancing bear that includes one of my favorite quotes from any book:<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 1in 0pt;"><b><i>"There is room on the stage for one beast and one alone. All others are destined for a night that is eternal and without name. One by one they will step down into the darkness before the footlamps. Bears that dance, bears that don’t."</i></b></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Throughout the book, the reader is bombarded with extremely graphic and senseless violence, over and over AND OVER again. However, layered within all the brutality and sadism are subtle themes and allusions that can be teased out and interpreted in many ways. This book provokes questions about the brutality of man, violence and war and perhaps the meaninglessness of the human race. Despite all the violence and bleak themes, I adored this book, and when all the dust settles, you’ll still be thinking about it for weeks afterward. It's not an easy read, in both subject matter and prose, but very much worth the effort. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">****Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart or the morally sensitive. </div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-87244577413144766032010-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:002010-12-03T07:23:21.562-08:00#FridayReads!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNggzhOZ0GZ1tSuwOKfgOHerWkpjLb1It00Zb4SlBowb_O8PbFh_pMjKP5XHKZB37ToYRu1PvWMMumKSzDbGT9Q3sMOQpCfVg_WPVMPfrxXYMvnf-LppbL1iEHT2EbUONr4s9kQpdT9pR/s1600/fridayreads.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNggzhOZ0GZ1tSuwOKfgOHerWkpjLb1It00Zb4SlBowb_O8PbFh_pMjKP5XHKZB37ToYRu1PvWMMumKSzDbGT9Q3sMOQpCfVg_WPVMPfrxXYMvnf-LppbL1iEHT2EbUONr4s9kQpdT9pR/s200/fridayreads.bmp" width="200" /></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hooray, it’s Friday! Lately my favorite part of Friday, aside from getting to wear jeans at work, has been </span><a href="http://fridayreads.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#FridayReads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">! Friday Reads is the brain child of <a href="http://twitter.com/thebookmaven">Beth Anne Patrick</a> AKA The Book Maven. Ms. Patrick has blogged about books for various organizations (like <i>Publisher’s Weekly </i>and <i>Barnes and Noble</i>) and currently runs a web-TV show focusing on books, called ‘The Book Studio’. Recently, she began encouraging people to post what they were reading each Friday on twitter using the hashtag #FridayReads and soon its popularity spread all over the internet. Now it’s up for a Mashable Award for Best Internet Meme (To vote, go to <a href="http://mashable.com/awards/">Mashable</a>, sign in under twitter or facebook, then select “Best Internet Meme category, then vote for #FridayReads once a day until December 15<sup>th</sup>!) </span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As if sharing what you were reading with your friends wasn't fun enough, every time #FridayReads hits another 1,000 posters, there are lots of awesome prizes given away, like signed copies of books, lit magazine subscriptions and first editions, thanks to generous donations from publishers and indie media!</span></span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">What I love about #FridayReads is its philosophy – “The more people who share what they're reading, the more people get excited about reading. And when people get excited about reading all sorts of incredible things happen...we get smarter; we think more; we're entertained; we learn things...the list is endless”</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl80Lo9MWCJCXS20j6s0eyChaDyGnLU34O6Hfg1bjxrXIOEXpLkdnTO8AqzLmxRPIxWTibIGnWb2V6-lD6l_TYg8lgrK2jaDe_0_-znUnKL3gLhfC1VA1fjD91mSfL9IkIwFUzdtC_GS6S/s1600/fridayreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl80Lo9MWCJCXS20j6s0eyChaDyGnLU34O6Hfg1bjxrXIOEXpLkdnTO8AqzLmxRPIxWTibIGnWb2V6-lD6l_TYg8lgrK2jaDe_0_-znUnKL3gLhfC1VA1fjD91mSfL9IkIwFUzdtC_GS6S/s320/fridayreads.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That’s exactly why I love books and reading and posting about what I’m reading. The more I talk about books, the more other people talk about books and the more people get EXCITED about books. I started pushing my </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1871615"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> updates to twitter as an experiment and was really surprised and excited to see how that was able to start conversations with other people about the books I was reading. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, without further ado, my #FridayReads are </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arkansas-John-Brandon/dp/0802144365/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291387445&sr=8-2"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arkansas by John Brandon</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Tom-Rachman/dp/0385343663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291387471&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. W</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">hat are your #FridayReads? (And don’t forget to post it to twitter too</span>!)</span></span></span></span></span></div></div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-29703154503059335322010-12-01T09:05:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:05:04.115-08:00What To Read Wednesday<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOOAoQFmAM6ptUwn1hARH2CXHzezwr9Qr4ugS6T1-xsF49wiv28ENRnldGWKtzQXzbdYjj40UX9TUZAlReyCQ1Tt4wqk8k4FVcc_yL2BVE_v35X6pZM-K3qR3IfTYa3K5fNFm4UnhJP2A/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOOAoQFmAM6ptUwn1hARH2CXHzezwr9Qr4ugS6T1-xsF49wiv28ENRnldGWKtzQXzbdYjj40UX9TUZAlReyCQ1Tt4wqk8k4FVcc_yL2BVE_v35X6pZM-K3qR3IfTYa3K5fNFm4UnhJP2A/s320/snow.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In honor of the snowflakes that are currently swirling outside my window, today’s recommendation is a favorite of mine that I read several years ago: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Angels-Novel-Stewart-ONan/dp/0312427697/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1291219792&sr=8-4">Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan</a> (You may remember the 2007 movie-based-on-the-book of the same name starring Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this book isn’t exactly about snow, it IS very atmospheric and quietly beautiful. Snow Angels is the story of Arthur Parkinson, who looks back on the snowy winter of his parents’ breakup when he was 14 and living in a blue collar, eastern Pennsylvanian town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel follows two parallel stories, that of Arthur and his troubled family and also the chaotic life of his former babysitter, Annie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two narratives overlap when a murder shakes the community and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Arthur's family begins to unravel. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Despite the sparse and simple prose, the novel affected me on a very emotional level. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all of the characters are likable; in fact most of them have many bad qualities and they act in frustrating yet realistic ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Ultimately, these complex characters are what make the novel so effective and relatable. They're real people and behave in very real ways and many of the problems they face hit close to home. </span>Also, I have to admit, I loved that the main character is in the marching band, because, well, I used to be a band geek too and we need more representation in fiction. The book reads very quickly and has sex and violence in spades, but it's not a book for people who like thrilling, dramatic stories. This novel's power is in its quiet pauses and complex characters and I recommend reading it on a cold snowy day with a big mug of coffee. </div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-13351448520983510782010-12-01T07:46:00.000-08:002010-12-01T07:48:54.270-08:00BREAKING NEWS<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVhPGVpaSXt8fKD050fy07k4QXPjWdrKqr91L28Bzr9Y7VI50TBSb5bswpFuY1PU_D03CAOxbIvwXX3O6d96y94B0lNZcfi_wQntUxQEJe3hxC8DpHSgY27eO9n7l0U-PZtZNyKKvCBaJ/s1600/oprahsbookclublogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVhPGVpaSXt8fKD050fy07k4QXPjWdrKqr91L28Bzr9Y7VI50TBSb5bswpFuY1PU_D03CAOxbIvwXX3O6d96y94B0lNZcfi_wQntUxQEJe3hxC8DpHSgY27eO9n7l0U-PZtZNyKKvCBaJ/s1600/oprahsbookclublogo.jpg" /></a>According to the AP, Orpah will be announcing <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101130/ap_en_ot/il_winfrey_book_club">a new book club selection</a> on Monday, December 6th. I'm always curious to see what she picks because inevitabley everyone in my office will be reading it (lots of Orpah devotees here). And generally, I think most of her book clubs picks are good books, so if it gets more people reading good books who may not otherwise have done so, then hooray! Who wants to take bets on what the next book selection will be? Just for fun, I'm gonna guess either <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Day-Vintage-Contemporaries-Original/dp/0307474712/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_T2_6_dp">One Day by David Nicholls</a>, which just feels so Oprah's-book-club-y to me or more hopefully, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Tom-Rachman/dp/0385343663/ref=botysf_2pac_rac3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=0HJ332WMVXGWBWESK7BK&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1269112322&pf_rd_i=1000398531">The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman</a>, which is what I would pick, mostly because I'm really excited to read it. Comment and tell me what you think/would want it to be! </div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-33490608671501562162010-11-29T14:56:00.000-08:002010-11-29T19:32:06.867-08:00BUY! BUY! BUY!<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vae_7wQS48W8zWk17TLMJ7H673TQgD2iV6ksPSescuOy1Uz8o7TwN1GkM4eVpyBb61Pm8oLQHAR9jKibIwY7VftZRukwk7Ipq7NPfDSPgsdCf8b1wViJ7mtV0npqoJO3qPzkAvCG4dBX/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vae_7wQS48W8zWk17TLMJ7H673TQgD2iV6ksPSescuOy1Uz8o7TwN1GkM4eVpyBb61Pm8oLQHAR9jKibIwY7VftZRukwk7Ipq7NPfDSPgsdCf8b1wViJ7mtV0npqoJO3qPzkAvCG4dBX/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: garamond;">The good folks at <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/">McSweeney's</a></span></span> have been sending me cryptic emails during Thanksgiving weekend alluding to very tempting book sales throughout the holiday season. Today, they announced that each day, starting today, they'll be featuring at least one book for 50% off along with promo codes that can add a free(!) book to your order. You can check out their <a href="http://store2.mcsweeneys.net/advent">Advent Calendar</a> for updates on the daily sales week to week. Word on the street is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instructions-Adam-Levin/dp/1934781827/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291071071&sr=8-1">The Instructions by Adam Levin</a> will be an upcoming daily sale, so keep checking. THIS IS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE SO STOCK UP.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">This week's deals:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>(TODAY) Nov. 29</b>: There Are Many Of Us (Book + DVD + CD) by Spike Jonze</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>(TOMORROW) Nov. 30</b>: McSweeney's Issue 13, guest-edited by Chris Ware (this is awesome if you adore comics like I adore comics)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Wednesday, Dec. 1</b>: Cold Fusion by Dr. and Mr. Doris Haggis-on-Whey and The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thursday, Dec. 2</b>: The Clock Without a Face by Gus Twintig (and the Wild Clock Bundle)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Friday, Dec. 3: </b>The Illustrious Bundle</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Saturday, Dec. 4:</b> Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary by Justin Green (and the Holy Bundle!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sunday, Dec. 5:</b> It Is Right to Draw Their Fur by Dave Eggers (and the Furry Bundle)</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;"></span>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-81371198890461813832010-11-29T14:26:00.000-08:002010-11-29T14:43:19.056-08:00100 Notable Books<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNYSwP8SoHwYc-bnCJGBSCGEK-B1UhAdyDmWipnHnYR6tHBXOgyO-l6BkmRCXFEiumY-LpFGdrP2n8wO5kQfzKPIDI_rS9RUOz4mBtrld3Jmc4nD5Rdug01wF_VbpBUBxpH2nD476f2h5/s1600/NYT-Book-Review-A-Grundberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNYSwP8SoHwYc-bnCJGBSCGEK-B1UhAdyDmWipnHnYR6tHBXOgyO-l6BkmRCXFEiumY-LpFGdrP2n8wO5kQfzKPIDI_rS9RUOz4mBtrld3Jmc4nD5Rdug01wF_VbpBUBxpH2nD476f2h5/s320/NYT-Book-Review-A-Grundberg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The New York Times recently published their list of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/books/review/100-notable-books-2010.html">100 notable books of 2010</a>, which will run in this Sunday’s edition of their Book Review. Scanning the list, I see that sadly, I’ve only read 5 of their 100 recommended books (Freedom by Jonathon Franzen, Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross, Room by Emma Donoghue, Sourland: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell). And if it counts towards anything I bought and intend on reading Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier (which is a gorgeously illustrated book) and The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. I won’t even pretend to have heard of some of these titles though many of the authors are very well-known and some of the books were short-listed for various literature prizes this year. Of the books I read that were included, I have to say that I don't think Sourland belonged. As much as I'm an unabashed fangirl of JCO's short stories, I thought this collection was pretty weak and very unmemorable. Two of the non-fiction picks jumped out at me and I immediately put them on my wish list: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Rise-Fall-Prohibition/dp/0743277023/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2YDU03CIJLG75&colid=3ERR3YOZ1L1GW">Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent</a>, thanks to my new found obsession with prohibition-era cocktails and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parisians-Adventure-History-Graham-Robb/dp/0393067246/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2NX24D69YNUSU&colid=3ERR3YOZ1L1GW">Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb</a> since I'm going back to Paris in December! <br />
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However, <a href="http://flavorwire.com/133028/10-great-new-books-that-didnt-make-the-times-best-of-2010-list%20">Flavorwire</a> pointed out that lots of awesome books were left off the list including one of my personal favorites of the year: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skippy-Dies-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0865479437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291069146&sr=1-1">Skippy Dies by Paul Murray</a>. Also, shockingly, the wildly popular non-fiction National Book Award winner <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Kids-Patti-Smith/dp/0060936223/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291069193&sr=1-1">Just Kids by Patti Smith</a> was not included. They recommended 10 awesome books that DIDN'T make the NYBR list and I instantly found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Bright-Stories-Ron-Rash/dp/0061804118/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1Q8N385G3CGB0&colid=3ERR3YOZ1L1GW">ANOTHER book</a> that I am heaping on my wish list pile (because I'm all about grim Ozark and Appalachian tragedy since seeing Winter's Bone). <br />
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What have you guys read from these lists? Anything you would add?<br />
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</div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2079004631247820007.post-77535661037152928602010-11-29T09:25:00.000-08:002010-11-29T19:44:11.602-08:00Adventures in Tipsy Book Shopping<div style="border: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hxC5q2G5UmiXzwuhSUJUDIw8kHPHXKqBoRyfm_DOhf-q_GnRk0LZWlsVMVbKRdtqpGWVwMTX8M3Whwoi2bYydaDnWt7v9SzkDxABHwDyF69kjU2jaYZYXa0MAooOP7_LTkyoX1MFUKwq/s1600/books2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hxC5q2G5UmiXzwuhSUJUDIw8kHPHXKqBoRyfm_DOhf-q_GnRk0LZWlsVMVbKRdtqpGWVwMTX8M3Whwoi2bYydaDnWt7v9SzkDxABHwDyF69kjU2jaYZYXa0MAooOP7_LTkyoX1MFUKwq/s1600/books2.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Saturday, after enjoying several cocktails, I went tipsy book shopping at my local independent bookstore here in Columbus (</span><a href="http://www.bookloft.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Book Loft</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> for you out-of-towners). Finding good books here can be hit or miss. Sometimes they’ll have tons of great unknown books stocked and sometimes the shelves will be a desert wasteland. One thing that The Book Loft does well though is stock awesome book reprints. They were the first place that I saw the now famous <a href="http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/pubsetpages/clothboundclassics/">cloth-bound Penguin Classics</a> and they also carry every copy of the <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/classics/graphicclassics.html">Graphic Penguin Classics</a>. </span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This time, I discovered </span><a href="http://www.whitesbooks.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">White's Books</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, a not-so-new publishing venture co-run by David Pearson, who is a former designer for Penguin and was behind some of the more beautiful Penguin books like the Great Ideas series. Pearson simply wanted to reprint classics with good design as the main focus and when this concept finally came to fruition in late 2008, the book blog-o-sphere was atwitter and eventually the news even made its way to <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/books-guides-resources/whites-books-077293">Apartment Therapy</a>. With all that attention, I’m actually pretty surprised I hadn’t seen these before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everything down to the endpapers and typesetting is carefully considered, and Pearson had some of his favorite designers come up with the bold, stylized covers. They also have a blurb about the person that created the book cover on the paper belly band, which I thought was a really special touch and acknowledges the often underappreciated designer. These novels are large and luxurious and make my little bookish heart melt. I bought Sherlock Holmes, and promptly put the other 7 editions on my Christmas wish list *ahem*.</span> You can buy them </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=0&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=0&field-keywords=white%27s%20books%20fine%20edition&url=search-alias%3Dus-stripbooks-tree"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following titles are included in this reprint:</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Emma – Jane Austen</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sherlock Holmes – His Greatest Cases – Arthur Conan Doyle</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Zkl0DhoZmyXQ5uCnKoLhoMIloxhHHjka8oLSokmIgssrlYgDOaV57SpOKX5NYOSUUL8gfU9eDAq8vP7EjTKVnF2jwtmLaAlEGd1rdkW3KZP2dtOK-pJLfRrhgLJ8UR0dvhDGR0yMRQ5b/s1600/pride+and+prejudice.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sonnets and Poems – William Shakespeare</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Christmas Books – Charles Dickens</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte </span><br />
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</div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzpRbpEchC0GajekRvgFN7rEWb8QDUah7TAmIzfo8ITjqp1m2TQmDvWA5b_Qevv4h_lUbfr5JcNzKIhVfCVtflqwxQgip_qZEM1-krZ6bofhMpEE7JFd6lVu6O6BJX9HWaQNMJCKVmx9z/s1600/whites-pocket-classics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzpRbpEchC0GajekRvgFN7rEWb8QDUah7TAmIzfo8ITjqp1m2TQmDvWA5b_Qevv4h_lUbfr5JcNzKIhVfCVtflqwxQgip_qZEM1-krZ6bofhMpEE7JFd6lVu6O6BJX9HWaQNMJCKVmx9z/s320/whites-pocket-classics.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div></div></div></div><div style="border: medium none;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to </span><a href="http://www.thefictiondesk.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Fiction Desk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, White’s Books will soon be publishing a series of Pocket Classics with covers illustrated by Joe McLaren. The white covers and embossed look are meant to convey a letterpress feel and I think they’re fantastic. I can’t wait for these to be available here in the U.S.! See what happens when you go tipsy book shopping? You discover an awesome new book publisher.</span></div></div>Jen Killiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082391770683881749noreply@blogger.com3