highbrowland literature

Ok. True confession. I'm reading something totally embarassing. Ever hear of the Outlander series of books, by Diana Gabaldon? Well, it's all Julie's fault, but I am totally hooked. So hooked that, when I knew this book was coming out, I watched the library site, waiting for the impending acquisition to get catalogued, and put myself on the reservation list before the library even really owned the book! (It's a little trick that hardcore library users know...not exactly cheating and cutting the line, but definintely taking advantage of a loophole...I know other people know about this because, if you can believe it, more than a month before the official release date, I was already second on the list!)

This new book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, is the latest in the series. In it, we find our hero, the superhot, supercapable Jamie Fraser and his time-travelling, herbal-healing wife Claire living in North Carolina (South Carolina? Doesn't matter), awaiting the American Revolution. You really don't need to know more than that, as it wouldn't make any sense to read the book out of order, anyway. All you need to know is that, while it's full of phrases like "I've got to have ye!" and "Ye make me so hard!," it's also moving and exciting and well-written historical fisction.

Never even heard of the Outlander books? Doesn't surprise me. Even though the current book is at the top of the Times bestseller list, it's kind of a niche genre. Pick a copy of the first book up at Amazon today. I know...you're scoffing already. (Karen -- the former Ms. Levine, more than the former Ms. Eisenberg -- this means YOU!) I was once a scoffer, too.

Would I steer you wrong?

flatulence of the highest order

Apparently, our favorite children's book is available in a rather unusual edition, thus proving our Family Motto that Farts Are Funny.

And, for the record, if you have children, and you haven't read them this book, even if only in good old lowbrow English, go get it now. It's the best.

contest du jour

Take a look at the title and description of the contents of this book.

Anyone know what's wrong?

today at the library

Everyone has a guilty pleasure. When it comes to reading, mine isn't anything as obvious as romance novels, it's a little genre that I'll call YaYa Wannabes. Novels by women, about women, for women. When these novels succeed, they are The Bean Trees or even The Secret Life of Bees. When they don't, they are everything by Fannie Flagg except Fried Green Tomatoes and the entire oeuvre of Lorna Landvik, one of my personal favorites.

So, today at the library, I was thrilled to see a new book by Ms. Landvik, this one with the catchy title of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. Only this particular copy was the large-print version. I was tempted to check it out, because words are words, after all, but I figured I'd leave it there for someone who really needed it. I contented myself by placing a hold on the regular copy and snatching up the new Peter Straub novel (see the link in the right hand column).

Wish me luck with that one, because, if I'm not done in 7 days, I owe a $1/day fine, and I'm hanging out here instead of reading.