Category: reading

Book Talk: SAVAGE PARK, by Amy Fusselman (via Shelf Awareness)
January 20, 2015 reading

Book Talk: SAVAGE PARK, by Amy Fusselman (via Shelf Awareness)

Savage Park: A Meditation on Play, Space, and Risk for Americans Who Are Nervous, Distracted, and Afraid to Die Amy Fusselman (Twitter) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (January 13, 2015), Hardcover (ISBN 0544303008 / 9780544303003) Nonfiction: social science/memoir, 144 pages A version of this review was previously published in Shelf Awareness for Readers (January 16, 2015). Shelf Awareness provided me with a publisher-furnished galley to facilitate the review, and compensated me for the review they received and […]

2014 In Review: Books of the Year!
January 8, 2015 reading

2014 In Review: Books of the Year!

My Books of the Year selections are based on a combination of how much a book has stayed with me throughout the year, how much I’ve talked about it and/or recommended it, and how highly I rated it at the time I reviewed it. This year, I realized that the last of those factors actually counts the least for me as I compile this list–that is, it’s not a simple ranking. With that said, I […]

January 6, 2015 reading

2014 in Review: Charting the Year in Books

I don’t keep the kind of comprehensive reading spreadsheets that some book bloggers do, but I do maintain one for my review index, and it proved very helpful when I wanted to create some charts to summarize my reading experience in 2014. I will be singling out some of the highlights as my Books of the Year later this week. I read 53 books in 2014 versus 51 in 2013, so I’m continuing to average […]

(Audio)Book Talk: AS YOU WISH by Cary Elwes (read by the author)
December 31, 2014 reading

(Audio)Book Talk: AS YOU WISH by Cary Elwes (read by the author)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride Cary Elwes (with Joe Layden); foreword by Rob Reiner Audiobook read by the author, with guests Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, Chris Sarandon, Andy Scheinman, Wallace Shawn, and Robin Wright Touchstone (October 2014), Hardcover (ISBN 1476764026 / 9781476764023) Nonfiction: popular culture/memoir, 272 pages Source: Purchased audiobook (Simon and Schuster Audio, October 2014, ISBN 9781442383456; Audible ASIN B00NLKFVRS) My Favorite Movie […]

(E)Book Talk: WE WERE LIARS, by E. Lockhart
December 30, 2014 reading

(E)Book Talk: WE WERE LIARS, by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars E. Lockhart (Twitter) (Novel site) Delacorte Press (May 2014), Hardcover (ISBN 038574126X / 9780385741262) Fiction (YA), 240 pages Source: Purchased ebook (iBooks edition, ISBN 9780385390095) ———————————————————————————————————— I was a little apprehensive about reading We Were Liars. It seemed to be emerging as one of 2014’s Books Everyone Loves, and I’d already had a disappointing experience with another of those books this year On top of that, E. Lockhart’s 2009 novel The Disreputable […]

(Audio)Book Talk: YES PLEASE, by Amy Poehler
December 18, 2014 reading

(Audio)Book Talk: YES PLEASE, by Amy Poehler

Yes Please Amy Poehler Audiobook read by the author (with guests Kathleen Turner, Patrick Stewart, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Michael Schur, and Bill and Eileen Poehler) Dey Street Books (October 2014), Hardcover (ISBN 0062268341 / 9780062268341) Nonfiction: memoir/essays, 352 pages Source: Purchased audiobook (Harper Audio, October 2014, ISBN 9780062350886; Audible ASIN B00MP22QRQ) The past few years have produced a bumper crop of notable memoir/essay collections by women already known for writing and performing comedy, and […]

Book Talk: THE ART OF ASKING, by Amanda Palmer (via Shelf Awareness)
December 16, 2014 reading

Book Talk: THE ART OF ASKING, by Amanda Palmer (via Shelf Awareness)

The Art of Asking: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help Amanda Palmer (Twitter) (Facebook) Grand Central Publishing (November 2014), Hardcover (ISBN 1455581089 / 9781455581085) Nonfiction: Memoir/autobiography, 352 pages A version of this review was previously published in Shelf Awareness for Readers (December 9, 2014). Shelf Awareness provided me with a publisher-furnished galley to facilitate the review, and compensated me for the review they received and posted. “It is a fear […]

A Month of Favorites: A Year in Books, By Month
December 10, 2014 randomness, reading

A Month of Favorites: A Year in Books, By Month

Today in “A Month of Favorites” A Year in Books Timeline {Which month did you … read the most, the least, read the book you liked LEAST for the year, read your longest book, tried a new genre, fell hard for a book boyfriend, re-read a favorite, finished an epic series, read something you’ve been wanting to read for a long time etc. } – link-up hosted at Traveling with T When did I read […]

(E)Book Talk: MARY AND LOU AND RHODA AND TED, by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
December 9, 2014 reading

(E)Book Talk: MARY AND LOU AND RHODA AND TED, by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic Jennifer K. Armstrong (Twitter) Simon & Schuster (2013), Hardcover (ISBN 1451659202 / 9781451659207) Nonfiction: popular culture, 336 pages Source: Purchased e-book (iBooks edition) Kids, there was a time when people had to watch television shows at the time the TV stations (of which there were as few as three and as many as eight, […]

(Audio)Book Talk: THE MAGICIANS Trilogy, by Lev Grossman (read by Mark Bramhall)
December 4, 2014 reading

(Audio)Book Talk: THE MAGICIANS Trilogy, by Lev Grossman (read by Mark Bramhall)

The Magicians: A Novel The Magician King: A Novel The Magician’s Land: A Novel Written by Lev Grossman (Facebook) (Twitter) Audiobooks read by Mark Bramhall Fiction/fantasy Source: Purchased audiobooks Penguin Audio, 2009, ISBN 9781101079423; Audible ASIN B002L7KSR0; Penguin Audio, 2011, ISBN 9781101523674, Audible ASIN B005GIH6EY; Penguin Audio, 2014, ISBN 9780698153622, Audible ASIN B00K8EXJEM (NOTE: The following discussion is mostly spoiler-free, but if you haven’t read this series, please proceed with caution.) There are definite advantages […]

A Month of Favorites: Two for Week 1
December 3, 2014 randomness, reading

A Month of Favorites: Two for Week 1

All December-long, Estella’s Revenge, Girlxoxo, and Traveling with T are sharing their fave bookish (and sometimes non-bookish) experiences from the past year, and everyone’s invited to join the party! There are daily posting/link-up topics, but since I won’t be posting every day, I’ll be picking and choosing and combining them. In a nod to Andi’s motto, let’s call it free-range blogging. Topics for Week 1:  1 – Faves Month Introduction – link-up hosted at Girlxoxo  2 – 5 Faves by […]

Book Talk: MEN: NOTES FROM AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, by Laura Kipnis
November 25, 2014 reading

Book Talk: MEN: NOTES FROM AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION, by Laura Kipnis

Men: Notes from an Ongoing Investigation Laura Kipnis (Facebook) (Twitter) Henry Holt & Co. / Metropolitan Books (November 18, 2014), Hardcover (ISBN 1627791876 / 9781627791878) Nonfiction: essays (sociology), 224 pages This review was originally prepared for Shelf Awareness for Readers, but was not accepted for publication due to a missed deadline. Shelf Awareness provided me with a publisher-furnished galley to facilitate the review, and no additional compensation. “The Scumbag.” “The Con Man.” “The Lothario.” “The […]