Anika

I put this one down about a third of the way through--not because I wasn't enjoying it but other books kept calling to me, so...... You know how that goes. After reading this thread I feel in the mood to get back into it now! Thanks, guys!

As an avid reader of letter collections (and big Oscar Wilde fan!) I will definitely be getting this! Thanks for the perceptive well-written review, Nollaig!

I straighten the books up as I walk around the store, and put the ones on the display tables back in their proper pile, etc. My neat-freak tendencies, I suppose. Can't help it. I think it would drive me insane to work in a retail book store. I would be fuming about all those teenagers lolling in the graphic-books aisle. Sprawled out on the floor like it's their living room or something. And I can't count how many times I've found empty drink cups just set down on a stack of books!! Is it so hard to find a trash can?

I generally stop by my local Barnes & Noble once a week for a quick browse, which amounts to a half hour or less. I buy most books on the internet though, but I haven't calculated how much time that actually entails--I'm kind of afraid to think about it!! It takes a long time to find what I want, because I have certain non-fiction books I'm looking for, but don't know the titles or authors names. I've a vague idea of the type of book I want and if I'm lucky I find it fairly quickly, but that's rarely the case.

Hi there! Looking forward to seeing you around the forum!

Hello and !! Hope you enjoy it here!

Glad you could join us! Really like your avatar, by the way!

Well, there's lots to read HERE! Looking forward to seeing you around the forum!

Hope you enjoy it here!

Yes, this one is really good! I read it mainly for the info about King himself, but since I also read lots of 'writing' books I found it was full of practical advise and very helpful.

I haven't read this book, Katrina, but like you I have seen the mini-series (which is great!) so I think I will get a copy of it. She also wrote a biography of Charlotte Bronte.

Breakdown by Alan Parsons

I LOVE those Lindt chocolate truffles, dark and regular! Usually dark chocolate is my preference, though.

Lasagna with lots of garlic bread on the side.

Onion bagel with cream cheese and salami. Green tea mixed with o.j.

I really like historical fiction when it's done well, and by that I mean taking into account the lack of modern conveniences available, and the problems those had in the past surmounting these difficulties. Just plunking characters down in the early 19th century, let's say, and moving them around with no realistic concept as to how people really lived then gets on my last nerve!!

Sorry! I forgot to mention that the 3rd story is 'Going Loco'. But even if you've read that, the book is worth getting for the other stories/columns.

When looking at political upheavals I think it's very interesting to see how it affects the individuals involved. This book looks interesting as a way to get a better perspective for what's going on over there.

"The Opposite of Fate" by Amy Tan (2003) This is another serendipitous find for me. Local discount store had a pile of new books in the entrance area, and of course I could never walk past books anywhere so had a quick browse and found this. (Pristine condition with perfect dustjacket: $1.oo) I hadn't read any of Amy Tan's fiction because I rarely read current fiction of any kind, but when I saw this was her 'musings on my life' I was intrigued. She writes about her early history and culture, of course, but also about places she's lived (one home in San Francisco was haunted!) her influences in life, writing and about health issues. I found I really enjoyed her style very much; clear entertaining prose, humorous and intuitive, lively descriptive skills--and it's convinced me to start reading her fiction books. Since fiction is very often autobiographical I'm sure I would enjoy them--she's a warm, interesting person that I'd like to know more about. [from inside cover]: Born into a family who believed in fate, Amy Tan has always looked for alternative ways to make sense of the world. And now, in The Opposite of Fate, her first book of nonfiction, she shares her thoughts on how she escaped the expectations and curses of her past, and created her own destiny. Amy Tan tells of her family, of the ghosts that inhabit her computer, of specters of illness, ski trips, the pliability of memory, rock and roll, and the twinned mysteries of faith and fate. Whether she is remembering arguments with her mother in suburban California, recounting trips to an outdoor market in Shanghai, or describing her love-hate relationship with the CliffNotes edition of her first book, The Joy Luck Club, her recollections offer an intimate glimpse of a bestselling writer whose own life story is as magical and hopeful as her fiction. ISBN: 0-399-15074-9 Has anyone else read this book?

Thanks for pointing out this book! I read a lot of history and am always looking for those that help give a clearer picture as to the actual conditions for the people living then. This is one I will definitely check out. Any more recommendations?

Has anyone read, 'The Lynne Truss Treasury'? I know this isn't a recent book since it came out in 2005, but I just picked it up a few weeks ago and I'm so glad I did. It's the first book in a LONG time where I find myself laughing--out loud--so hard, it hurts!! This collection is three novels and in the back a selection of her columns (the latter being where my hilarity is derived from mainly). I've read the first novel so far, which is about the staff of an out-dated gardening magazine,(With One Lousy Free Packet Of Seed) and almost done with the second (Tennyson's Gift) about real-life literary figures in 1864 on the Isle of Wight, but then I flipped over to the back and began to read, Making the Cat Laugh (columns) and find myself a bit let down that this section isn't LONGER! Her observations about daily dilemmas and the ways she copes with being single again after the breakup of a longterm relationship are priceless. I highly recommend this book, if you don't already have it. If you do, what are your thoughts on it?

The Bible.

While there isn't anything I'm specifically waiting for, I am rather hoping some good biographies will emerge this year. Every month I browse the new ones in that section at Barnes and Noble and have to shake my head in disgust for the most part when I see yet another teen celebrity has added their contribution to the ranks. That or the politician/athlete/TV personality who has most recently disgraced themselves have cranked out their 'sympathy-garnering' story as recommended by the PR person they've hired to re-build their image. I really do wish these books had their own section, and were not placed in 'biographies' at all!!! They could call it the "Help Me Pay My Lawyers" department. Real literary biographies are so far and few between, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I may get a genuine surprise this year.

I'd have it say it's 'One True Thing' by Anna Quindlen. The movie is one I watch all the time since I have it on DVD and I absolutely LOVE Meryl Streep--always have. Rene Zellwegger is great in this movie too. When I saw the book I thought I should buy it, since the books are always BETTER than the movie, right? Well, just browsing through it and reading different parts while still in the store I found I really didn't care much for it at all. Can't pinpoint why exactly--it just didn't grab me the way I'd expected and I've still never read it. Mostly, I think I didn't want to ruin my enjoyment of the movie by my mind being clouded with images from the book.

Since I read predominantly biographies and history, reading for me means a chance to go back in time and get aquainted with people from every walk of life. It's a way to understand the daily joys and problems of eras in past centuries. Finding out what were the trivial concerns and the popular fads of everyday people or even the Royalty, for that matter. It's time-travel observation from all angles and perspectives. Breaking down major events to learn what led up to them and how they were dealt with in the aftermath. Being a writer I feel it's important to read all the time. It helps with improving my own style and learning about the varied styles of the writers I enjoy reading. Also improves vocabulary, sentence structure, character development, descriptive skills and dialogue. But of course, it's a pleasant past-time for me as well. Ever since I can remember I have loved books and reading. There's just nothing more satisfying than a good story (or series of stories ) and getting involved in the lives of the characters; the tension, laughing at the humorous aspects, crying when it becomes sad. It triggers all the emotions, helps me contemplate different aspects of life, and allows the ultimate gratification of dissapearing out of my own world, even just for a little while. A huge stress reliever at times, and one I employ daily.