Absalom, Absalom
by lz in Reading Archive on 31Aug2006
Faulkner's dizzying style of talking around and about and underneath a subject makes it a slow march to the end of the story. However, I'm hanging on to the end, halfway through and trudging onward. This kind of writing is good for the brain; I need to be slowed in...
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Hyperion is starting a new brand, Voice, aimed at women. WTF?! What follows are some incoherent grumblings about this idea: 51% of the US population is female. This is the majority. Why do we need a niche book brand? From the NYT article: "People are overwhelmed by choice, and what...
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Scott Berkun slams writers' block as a sham: "It's not the fear of writing that blocks people, it's its fear of not writing well; something quite different." He then outlines several "hacks" to get you started writing. Some of my favs: * Write about how it feels not to be...
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Great advice for readers-- if you're not enjoying it, put it down! "If reading books is to survive as a leisure activity - and there are statistics that show that this is by no means assured - then we have to promote the joys of reading, rather than the (dubious)...
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The sheer volume of volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary solidifies its reputation as a weighty reference guide. But is it cost-prohibitive at $300/year for online access or $2,000 for physical copies? I feel well served by free services like Merriam-Webster or dictionary.com to satisfy occasional disputes over meanings of...
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Why does everyone love Rushdie so much? I'm giving into the hype again and trying him on, but it is not smooth sailing so far. 100 pages in and it's a struggle to convince myself to pick it up and keep reading at the end of the day. Basic premise...
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Never Let Me Go
by lz in Reading Archive on 13Aug2006
Devoured this story in a cross country flight. This was my first taste of Ishiguro, I was lured into the work by the seductive display at the Mission branch library. Easy, facile writing style; excellent use of foreshadowing or clue dropping or seeding of the story. I imagine it to...
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Check out pics of this wonderland of books for kids. Maybe if Borders redesigned like this, people would read more. Apologies for all the weblog posts lately-- reading has taken lower priority than social activities....
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BookMooch is a place to exchange books, for free, and earn (karma) points for every book you ship out. To keep receiving books, you need to give out one for every 2 you get. Let the books circle the globe!...
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Nineteen tidbits of advice for aspiring authors from marketing guru Seth Godin. Sad to note that 58% of adults don't read another book after high school. And this is my favorite piece of advice: "Bookstores, in general, are run by absolutely terrific people. Bookstores, in general, are really lousy businesses....
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Historical fiction is tricky, but Liss pulls a rabbit out of a hat on this 18th century tale on the beginnings of the stock exchange in London. Spun as a memoir by one Benjamin Weaver (nee Lienzo), ex boxing champ of England then turned thief catcher/detective, it takes place in...
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