Nancy Pearl

I just read "Book Lust" a book about reading books by a librarian in Seattle (well actually she's from a lower middle class neighborhood in Detroit, but I didn't recognize the name of the library she went to as a kid--Parker Library?) Nancy Pearl is the librarian who got all of Seattle to read the same book--citywide book club. I heard about her on NPR in a piece that discussed great first lines in a book. Well "Book Lust" is categories of books that she loved for every mood or topic. There is a baseball topic, biographies, world war 1 and 2 in fiction and nonfiction, California, New York, 9/11, fantasy, futuristic, coming of age, Father's and sons, Mother's and sons, etc, etc, etc. And there is a section for books with great first lines. There's a section on Dickens--explaining to people who were forced to read Dickens that when he wrote that stuff it was in weekly installments and that ships were met by anxious readers who asked if Nell was dead. The section goes on to list other authors who wrote in that genre. I skimmed through the entire book and I only recognized a handful of the books, so I'm going to take it to the library with me and get started. It's cool, because she obviously loves books so much. She also said that there is a rule of 50. If you are under 50 years old, never give a book you don't like more than 50 pages and if you are over 50, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you give a book--life's too short to waste time. Of course, she being this incredible book lover, she did admit that sometimes she's just not in the mood for some books and she'll go back to them another time giving them a second chance.

Little Earthquakes

I just started Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner. I liked her first two books a lot (Good in Bed and In Her Shoes) and I read her blog. She had a little girl just about the time I found out I was pregnant with Jackson. It was fun (and informative) to read about all of the stuff she went through with a newborn. I admit that she got me to buy the hardcopy the day it came out (I had been reading about it for sooo long) so we can pass it around.

TV Heaven

Once again, Mom is up on her TV. They have already done the movie for The 5 People You Meet in Heaven.

Scott Turrow

I have reached page 144 in Stott Turrow's The Burden of Proof and have decided that page 143 will be my last. Maybe his stuff plays better in movies. The basic outline sounds like a good story. Lawyer comes home to his wife's suicide, how he and the family deal with it. Wife had lots of money, some of it missing. Brother-in-Law a stock broker being investigated by a grand jury. You really have to work hard to make all that seem dull. Scott Turrow has made it up there with Nathanial Hawthorne in my "run the other way" list of authors.

Is Heaven Real?

Yay!! I just finished the Mitch Albom book 5 People You Meet in Heaven. Having a day off or even a few hours make such a world of difference. Anyway, I started the book yesterday while I was get a pedicure. The korean guy that was working on me asked what the book was about. I told him it was about a guy who goes to heaven and has to meets 5 people (I had only read two pages at that point). His next question left me a little speechless. "Is it a real person?" No, alas, it is a work of fiction. He looked very disappointed. It was a good book (not earth shattering, but good) and a perfect size for my reading ability right now.

A Word About Chicken Soup

I was at a convention for ABWA and the very inspirational speaker told a story that she said she got from a new book (this was many years ago) called Chicken Soup for the Soul. It was a good story and I bought the book. It was a blatant and merciless tear jerker, but I read the whole thing and bought the second one when it came out. The second one (thankfully) was a collection of poorly written stories that no longer moved me to tears and I was saved hundreds of dollars from buying any more of the Chicken Soup books. But I have no will power and I bought Chicken Soup for the Working Women a few years ago as a gift for someone that I ended up giving something else. I've had the thing on my nightstand now since Christmas and I read a few stories now and then. The good part is I'm almost done, the bad part is I can't remember any of the stories--they were mostly poorly written and yet, I am sad to be coming to the end. It's slightly nice to read a slightly inspirational story before going to sleep at night. I think the jokes are good.

Jennifer Cruise

Yea! I'm in. Well the other day I allowed myself to start the last Jennifer Cruise book (romance with wit) that I hadn't read (or should I say devoured). Sometimes I start a book at lunch, put it in my drawer and forget to bring it home--not this one. It was called Bet Me. Utterly light, but entertaining and I finally put it down (when I was finished reading it) at 2 a.m. One day, not a record, but I'm disappointed to be finished reading all the Jennifer Cruises. I hope she's hard at work writting a new one.

I finished Animal Dreams in one sitting also, coming home from Michigan. It wasn't related to Pigs in Heaven or Bean Trees, but very good just the same. Poisonwood Bible is still my favorite Kingsolver.

Dr. Phil is my lunch time reading, because I'm not having any problem putting it down and getting back to work. Of course, there is all the guilt about eating two cookies for dessert while reading a diet book.

The Oath

After I finished Fault Lines, I started The Oath by John Lescroart. I recognize a couple of the characters so I know I have read something of his before. Who could forget a name like Dismas. But even looking at a list of his works I can't remember which one.

None of you probably lost any sleep about the Laurence Sanders book that someone took home from dominos after I had picked it out. She did take the books by mistake and brought them back today. So now I have two large hardcover books waiting in line. The Laurence Sanders book is McNally's Risk and the other one is The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow.

Fault Lines

So, I'm reading this Anne Rivers Siddons book called Fault Lines and I'm having trouble making myself put it down to go to bed on Friday night. I was completely engrossed. Of course, yesterday was not a day for reading so I didn't get back to it until after my nap this afternoon. Oh my God. I am up to the "title bit" and she meets this guy that is into earthquakes and starts explaining it all to her, how they happen, and how you can tell where they'll happen and blah, blah, blah. I could have read a little longer on Friday night and fallen asleep right there.

I skimmed a lot of that and she's finally getting back on the story line so after one more nap, I will pick it up again.

p.s. Roddick won, Serena won, and Jennifer is winning. Its OK for me to nap for a while.

What does one have to do to be a contributor?

I didn't get an invitation, and there wasn't one pending for me when I went in to set myself up. But I did it myself, and now have Amazon Readers listed on my dashboard. But I am not listed as a contributor. Hopefully since I am contributing that will change.

Welcome to Me

Thanks to my Amazing daughters I am set up on the AmRead blog. I picked up a Laurence Sanders hardcover book at the clubhouse before dominos and when I got ready to go home someone else had taken it. So I got another Anne Rivers Siddons book called Fault Lines (paperback). I have only read a couple of pages because the print is so tiny that I have to take my glasses off and I'm reading while watching the US Open so its a nuisence.

I'm in!

This is cool. I love technology.

Sedaris? Didn't he write Me Talk Pretty (insert link here)? If he is the one and same , please save corduroy for me and I will read that when I get there, or send it home with Mel.

Test Post

I am signed in as "ezynda" and posting on the Amazon Reader site. Woo hoo!!